As many as two tropical storms may form over the Atlantic Ocean this week, and one could pose a threat to islands in the northern Caribbean Sea.
A tropical disturbance, dubbed 90L, has an excellent chance of becoming the next tropical depression and tropical storm of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season.
"90L was located about 400 miles southwest of Cabo Verde (formerly known as the Cape Verde Islands) and should become Tropical Depression Seven in the next day or two," according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.
Conditions are favorable for rapid development of 90L. This system has the greatest chance of becoming the next tropical storm of the season. The next name on the list is Gaston.
Indications are that 90L would take a northwestward path toward the central Atlantic over the next week, perhaps very similar to that of Fiona. Such a path would not pose an immediate threat to land. However, beyond the next week there is some potential for the system to be drawn close to Bermuda or perhaps part of North America.
"A second tropical disturbance, dubbed 99L, was located about 700 miles east of Barbados, in the Windward Islands, and could become Tropical Depression Eight later this week," Kottlowski said.
This disturbance is moving on a more westerly path, which could bring showers, thunderstorms and rough seas to the Windward islands Tuesday and the British and United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
Gusty showers and thunderstorms may continue to spread northwestward over the Bahamas and northern Caribbean islands during the balance of the week.
How much rain and wind occur will be dependent on how quickly 99L strengthens. Most likely this disturbance will remain relatively weak into the middle of the week due to disruptive winds and dry air in the vicinity of its path. However, even a weak system is capable of producing heavy rainfall, flash flooding, mudslides and damaging wind gusts.
From midweek on, the disruptive winds may ease, but interaction with the larger islands in the northern Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, may continue to hinder development or could cap strengthening.
"If 99L passes too close to Hispaniola with its mountainous terrain, it may never become an organized tropical system," Kottlowski said.
If the path of 99L ends up north or south of the major islands in the Caribbean, then more significant and rapid development could occur prior to the system approaching United States waters.
Following Gaston, the next name on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic for this season is Hermine.
People living in, traveling to or cruising around the Caribbean islands and the southeastern coast of the United States should monitor the progress of 99L this week and into next week.
Meanwhile, leftover moisture from Fiona could bring showers and thunderstorms to Bermuda late this week.