According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), a low pressure area has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression in the western Caribbean Sea later this week or early next week.
Once developed, the tropical depression could strengthen into a tropical storm. However, it is not yet possible to determine the specific time and location of the newly formed storm.
If it does, the next subtropical storm will be named Patty, followed by Rafael and Sara.
It’s too early to know the exact path of the storm, but the system could drift toward the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rain and damaging winds are possible in the western Caribbean, parts of Central America and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula next week.
Stormy weather brought record-breaking rainfall to Puerto Rico on Oct. 31 and was still dumping water in parts of the northeastern Caribbean on Nov. 1. New weather developments could bring flooding rain to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola.
A third storm is expected in the Atlantic Ocean. While it has a moderate chance of becoming a hurricane, it is unlikely to pose a threat to land.
According to CNN, the hurricane season usually ends in November, but this year, the storms are moving in an unpredictable direction.
According to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), at least 125 tropical storms and hurricanes have moved across the Atlantic in November since the late 1800s.
According to hurricane expert Michael Lowry, 98% of named storms make landfall in the US before November.
Hurricanes that form in November tend to occur in the Caribbean, southwest, and central Atlantic, where warmer waters persist longer and hurricane-force winds tend to be weaker. The Gulf of Mexico is not a common source of tropical storms in November because hurricane-force winds are stronger in that region in late fall.
The Caribbean could remain a tropical storm hotspot through the second half of November, according to the US Climate Prediction Center.
The typhoon season officially ends on November 30, but storms can still appear after that. Therefore, residents and tourists in areas predicted to be affected by typhoons should be vigilant and regularly monitor weather forecasts to adjust their schedules accordingly.
