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Atlantic system could become Tropical Storm Cristobal this week
The National Hurricane Center is watching a developing system in the Atlantic that could become the third named storm of the 2026 hurricane season—and potentially be named Cristobal.
The system was located about 500 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands Tuesday morning, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center.
While the system currently has limited shower and thunderstorm activity, conditions are expected to become more favorable for development over the next few days.
The NHC gives the system a 70 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next seven days, up from a 30 percent chance over the next 48 hours.
A tropical depression is "likely to form during the latter half of this week," the hurricane center said, as the system moves westward to west-northwestward across the central tropical Atlantic.
If the system strengthens into a tropical storm, it would be named Cristobal, making it the third named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
It's unclear whether the storm would gain enough steam to impact the Gulf Coast of the United States, but the storm is still expected to bring thunderstorms, rain showers and winds that could surpass 40 miles per hour.
The NHC said the system is expected to continue moving across the central tropical Atlantic, meaning its eventual track and strength remain uncertain.
The system is one of three disturbances currently being monitored by forecasters. The other two disturbances noted by the NHC have just a zero-to-10 percent chance of landfall, per the NHC.
August 10 evening update: NHC is still watching 3 disturbances over the basin. The easternmost system is likely to become a tropical depression during the latter portion of the week. Remember every outlook is at https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/K9jDSvSJx7
Tropical Storm Cristobal would join Tropical Storm Arthur and Tropical Storm Bertha as the three named storms in a quiet hurricane season to date. A slow season is expected to continue through November.
The Colorado State University (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science predicts there will be nine named storms in the 2026 hurricane season, well below the usual rate for a typical hurricane season. CSU's latest report this month says there is just a nine percent chance of a hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast this year, a major dip from the average of 27 percent. Experts say the quiet hurricane season—and the high temperatures—across the United States are thanks to the El Niño weather pattern, which has elevated water temperatures and calmed winds in the Atlantic Ocean.
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