New Tropical Storm Ernesto Could Form Next Week

Hurricane season is still ongoing, and a new tropical storm named Ernesto might develop next week. Currently identified as Invest 98, this tropical wave is located between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles. It’s expected to gradually become more organized and could become a tropical depression by mid-week.

While it’s too early to determine if it will impact the continental U.S., the National Hurricane Center predicts it will approach the Lesser Antilles and possibly the Greater Antilles by the latter part of next week.

The storm has an 80% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next seven days. For a system to be classified as a tropical storm, it must have a defined center of circulation and winds of at least 39 mph. The next name on the 2024 Atlantic storm list is Ernesto.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on Nov. 30, is expected to be very active, with 17-24 named storms anticipated. So far, there have been four storms, with Beryl and Debby strengthening into hurricanes that impacted the U.S.