Tropical wave moving off Africa dubbed Invest 97L with increasing chances of development

MIAMI - Just as the disturbance tagged Invest 96L continues its journey into irrelevance in the open Atlantic Ocean, a new tropical wave just emerging off the western coast of Africa has caught the attention of the National Hurricane Center and could become a tropical depression soon. 

The NHC has already upped the odds of development for the newly anointed Invest 97L to a high chance over the next week.

WHAT IS AN INVEST?

An "invest" is a naming convention used by the National Hurricane Center to identify areas they are investigating for possible development into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days. The designation allows the agency to run specialized computer forecast models to track the area's potential storm development.

"Although the associated shower and thunderstorm activity still lacks some organization, only a small increase in the organization could lead to the formation of a tropical depression before the low moves near or across the Cabo Verde Islands tonight and on Monday," the NHC wrote Sunday morning in announcing its newest item on its tropical weather outlook.

The NHC also said "regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds are possible today and Monday across the Cabo Verde Islands."

Unlike Invest 96L, this storm is starting its trek off Africa a bit farther to the south, which means it will likely avoid dry, dusty Saharan Desert air that can keep storms from developing and had dogged 96L's development. The disturbance is now heading north into open waters, its chances of developing into a tropical system waning further, and is no threat to land.

NOAA STICKS WITH PREDICTION OF ABOVE-AVERAGE 2025 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON AS PEAK NEARS

But computer forecast models are in agreement that this new disturbance will head west across the Atlantic, possibly reaching the Caribbean islands by late next week or that weekend, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

As it moves, it too will face some challenges from dry air and dust over the Atlantic. However, as it gets closer to the Caribbean, the atmosphere is expected to become more favorable for it to strengthen.

The western Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and waters off the southeast U.S. continues to harbor the basin’s warmest ocean temperatures, the FOX Forecast Center says. Any systems that manage to reach those warmer pools of water would have a higher ceiling for intensification.

As the system is approaching the vicinity of the (Caribbean) islands, the atmospheric pattern is forecast to become more conducive to the system strengthening," said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross.  "Since a system’s intensity and track are often related – a stronger system is normally more likely to turn north – we’ll have to see how quickly this one organizes as it moves west. The more organized it gets, the better the forecasts are likely to be."

But Norcross warned that despite rampant social media speculation showing some forecasts 12-14 days out indicating a potential major storm near the US, there is no forecast skill in predicting storms that far out.

"Despite what you might see posted on social media, there is nothing more to know," Norcross said. "All long-range forecasts for a system that has not even begun to develop are subject to large errors and are likely to change many times. Posts showing landfall in the United States are not worth your attention and are only there to cause angst."

But the end of August looks to keep forecasters busy. Norcross says two or three other disturbances are forecast to move off Africa behind this one.

"They will all bear watching, of course," he said. "There is nothing more to say at this point."