Wave off Africa to be next named storm of 2018 Atlantic hurricane season

The National Hurricane Center initiated an advisory on Potential Tropical Cyclone Six, located east-southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands.

TALKING THE TROPICS: Wave off Africa likely to be next named storm

This storm could become Florence, the sixth named hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane season.

From First Alert Meteorologist Mike Buresh: 

"Tropical waves moving west off Africa are increasing in number & intensity [and] at least a couple waves are pretty likely to develop," Buresh said. "The European model tries to develop a tropical system near Florida by Sunday/Monday then moves the system over the Gulf of Mexico and into the Gulf Coast. There are virtually no other forecast models showing this scenario.

"It's either a coup by the European model ... or a bust. Social media -- and some diehard European model-bent forecasters are jumping all over this development.

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"I'm not ready to go there yet. Such development would fit the pattern overall, but the details don't lend a lot of support yet for this scenario. So I see no changes to the local Labor Day weekend forecast.

Buresh said that at least one more wave will move off the coast of Africa next week. One or more waves would likely move farther west over the Atlantic, but there's a still a long ways to go on this development."

The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is Sept. 10. More tropical waves will continue to roll off the west coast of Africa over the coming weeks.

"Given that we are near the peak of the hurricane season, everyone living in a hurricane prone area should know their risk and have their hurricane plan in place," the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

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Cox Media Group