Story at a glance
- Two possible cyclones are forming along the southeastern regions of the U.S.
- The cyclone occurring in the Atlantic is more likely to form at 90 percent.
- Forecasters anticipate an above-active Atlantic hurricane season.
The first possible storms of 2021 are taking shape, as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring two potential cyclones, with one in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Atlantic Ocean.
8am EDT 21 May: We continue to monitor two areas for possible development.
1) A low NE of Bermuda is likely to become a subtropical cyclone later today.
2) A Gulf of Mexico system could become a short-lived tropical depression/storm before moving inland over the NW Gulf coast. pic.twitter.com/cjB42RlSdY— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) May 21, 2021
Officials at the NHC say that thunderstorms and associated showers are expected for the cyclone in the Atlantic, which has a 90 percent chance of formation within the next 48 hours. It is currently located about 300 miles northeast of Bermuda.
Over the weekend, the cyclone is expected to track northeastward into what researchers say will be “a more hostile environment.”
In the Gulf of Mexico, meanwhile, the budding cyclone has a smaller 60 percent chance of formation, with the low pressure system bringing winds between 30 to 35 miles per hour toward the east.
Some thunderstorm and rain activity is expected but remains limited, per the NHC. An increase in the cyclone’s development in the Gulf over the coming days could result in the formation of a tropical depression.
Any rainfall from this storm is likely to hit portions of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana through Saturday. River flooding is also a possibility.
This weather update comes two days after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it anticipates another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, with a 60 percent chance of an abnormally active season and a 30 percent chance of a near-normal season.
Forecasters do not expect another record-breaking season akin to that seen in 2020.
The hurricane season in the Atlantic extends from June 1 to November 30.
“Now is the time for communities along the coastline as well as inland to get prepared for the dangers that hurricanes can bring,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The experts at NOAA are poised to deliver life-saving early warnings and forecasts to communities, which will also help minimize the economic impacts of storms.”
changing america copyright.
