Fiona, Gaston & 3 waves: Ominous tropical wave to enter Caribbean

One look at the tropics and one would think we are in late August. There are two named systems, an ominous tropical wave, and two more tropical waves all the way in the eastern Atlantic.

Major Category 4 Fiona is pulling away from Turk and Caicos, moving northward. It will finally make a north-northeast turn later Wednesday and pick up speed on Thursday night. By early Friday morning, Fiona will be just west of Bermuda where they are expecting violent hurricane-force winds and torrential rains which could lead to catastrophic flash floodings.

Fiona will continue to move northward, likely heading toward Newfoundland as it transitions into an extratropical system, expanding its wind field greatly and wreaking havoc across southeastern Canada on the weekend.

Fiona will not impact the eastern coast of the United States directly. There could be some life-threatening rip currents and larger wave action due to the size and strength of the hurricane. We do not forecast for Fiona to make an unexpected turn to the west as the atmospheric pattern is moving Fiona northward and away from the U.S.

Tropical Storm Gaston was officially named on Tuesday evening. This system is in the north-central Atlantic. It is forecast to approach the Azores Islands in the weekend, increasing the chance of tropical storm force winds as the system will also be transitioning into an extratropical system.

There is a robust tropical wave that continues to inch closer to the Caribbean. This system has a high chance of becoming the next tropical storm of the season. The next name on the list is Hermine and it could receive this name before the week ends.

Invest 98L will be traveling over very warm waters with little wind shear to stop it. It is likely that by Sunday or early Monday a hurricane could be close to Jamaica.

The exact tracks are impossible to decipher currently. The tropical wave does not have a well-defined center of circulation. Without one, any models might not be grasping the system correctly which could mean several hundred miles in difference in landing spot.

What we know for sure is that this wave has the potential to gain quite a bit of strength. Atmospheric conditions are favorable for this system to become our next hurricane and some models show that it could be our next major hurricane of the season. Residents in Cuba, and the U.S. Gulf coast from Louisiana eastward, including Florida, should monitor this one closely.

What we know now is that this system will likely be posing a threat to Cuba, Yucatan Peninsula, and eventually the United States. Please stay informed and make sure you have a plan ready in place. The time to prepare is now.

The other two tropical waves are very far out. One is a couple of hundred miles southwest of Cabo Verde Islands and has a low chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next five days. The wave is very far away, and we must wait to see how it continues north-westward, it could remain over water. The other tropical wave has not emerged from Africa. Once it emerges it is expected to turn northward.