The National Hurricane Center on Sunday increased the probability that a system in the Gulf of Mexico will develop into a tropical depression or storm. The probability of two Atlantic systems has also increased.

According to the center’s tropical forecast at 8:00 a.m., increased showers and thunderstorms were expected in the extensive low-pressure area in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

“This system is expected to move slowly northwestward over the next few days, and environmental conditions are expected to be favorable for further development,” the forecasters said. “A tropical depression is likely to form over the next few days as the system moves generally northwestward and then northward near or along the Gulf Coast of Mexico and Texas through mid-week.”

If it were to gain enough energy to become a named storm, it could develop into Tropical Storm Francine.

“Stakeholders along the western and northwestern Gulf Coast should closely monitor the path of this system. Warnings may be necessary for portions of the western Gulf Coast later today or tonight,” the forecasters said.

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to examine the system later Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center estimates that there is an 80% chance that the storm will develop in the next two days and a 90% chance that it will develop in the next seven days.

Conditions in the Atlantic also favor the formation of two storm systems.

In the central tropical Atlantic, there is an elongated low pressure area with showers and thunderstorms that shows stronger signs of organization.

“Environmental conditions appear to favor further development of this system, and as the system meanders across the central tropical Atlantic through Monday, a tropical depression could form and then move generally westward at about 10 mph for the remainder of the week,” meteorologists said.

The National Hurricane Center estimates that the storm will develop at 40% in the next two days and 60% in the next seven days.

Further east, several hundred kilometers southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, there is a low pressure area with an extensive area of ​​irregular showers and thunderstorms.

“This system is expected to move little over the next few days until it potentially interacts with a tropical wave that is expected to move off the west coast of Africa on Monday,” meteorologists said. “Environmental conditions thereafter are expected to be favorable for the gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form by mid- to late-week as the system slowly moves west-northwestward.”

The National Hurricane Center estimates there is a 50% chance that the hurricane will develop within the next seven days.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. There have been five named systems so far, but none of them have formed since the system that later became Hurricane Ernesto formed on August 12.

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