NHC tracking 2 areas in Atlantic with chances to develop

Pam Dowd, Orlando Sentinel on Aug 21, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The National Hurricane Center on Friday began tracking an area of low pressure that has a chance to develop into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

As of the NHC’s 2 p.m. EDT advisory, the weak area of low pressure was located over the central subtropical Atlantic a few hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda and is producing an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Development of this system, if any, is expected to be slow to occur while it drifts west-southwestward through Sunday and then turns northward early next week,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 10% chance to form within two days and 20% in the next seven.

Forecasters also are watching a non-tropical area of low pressure over the northeastern Atlantic several hundred miles north-northeast of the Azores that is moving toward Portugal and northwestern Spain.

“This system could acquire some subtropical or tropical characteristics on Saturday or early Sunday while it moves east-southeastward at 10 to 15 mph,” the NHC said. “The opportunity for tropical or subtropical development should end by Sunday night when the system moves into unfavorable environmental conditions.”

The NHC gives the system a 20% chance to develop in the next two to seven days.

So far the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, has been slow with only three named systems: Tropical storms Arthur and Bertha and Cristobal.

The next names on the list are Dolly and Edouard.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration earlier this month updated its seasonal forecast and now expects between seven and 13 named storms this year. Of those, two to six would become hurricanes. It also predicted that there might not be any major hurricanes this year, or at most two.

Already, 2026 was forecast to have lower-than-average storm generation, and that has been reduced even further with the latest forecasts from the NOAA and other weather groups.

An average year would see 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three of those growing to Category 3 strength or higher.

The height of hurricane season has just begun and runs through mid-October.

-----------