RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Waters around the southeastern United States could remain one of the Atlantic basin’s main areas to watch for the possible formation of tropical weather systems into early and mid-August, according to AccuWeather .
The outlet reported that, while no immediate tropical activity is expected in the Atlantic in the wake of storm Bertha last week, a broad zone near the U.S. coast may become more susceptible later in the period.
AccuWeather said the area of interest includes waters around Florida, the Carolinas, Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda. Forecasters there said that zone may have the best chance of producing a tropical depression or tropical rainstorm later in the first week of August and into the second week, although no activity is expected through the first few days of the month.
The setup is being watched because pressure in the region is expected to be somewhat lower than in surrounding areas, which AccuWeather said could help thunderstorms develop. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said fronts are expected to move into the region and gradually weaken, while waters are warm enough to support tropical activity and wind shear may ease for a time compared with earlier weeks this summer.
One possible pathway for development, according to AccuWeather, would involve a cluster of thunderstorms organizing into an area of low pressure, then separating from a decaying front. If that happened, the system could begin to acquire tropical characteristics, including a warm core and rotation, rather than behaving like a typical nontropical storm driven by temperature contrasts along a front.
The concern is not that a storm is guaranteed, but that the risk zone is close to land. DaSilva said that the area needs to be monitored because there could be "minimal notice" if a tropical storm were to form near the coast.
A storm that develops quickly near shore could bring sudden heavy rain, worsening beach conditions, coastal flooding and damaging winds, AccuWeather reported.
The early-August watch area comes after Bertha became the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, following Arthur . The basin has not yet produced a hurricane this season .
Looking ahead, AccuWeather said its meteorologists continue to expect a below-average to average Atlantic hurricane season. The outlet attributed that seasonal outlook to a strong El Niño, which can suppress Atlantic tropical activity .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season in its May outlook , giving a 55 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 35 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 10 percent chance of an above-normal season.
The agency forecast eight to 14 named storms, including three to six hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes, with 70 percent confidence in those ranges. NOAA said an average Atlantic season produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
The official 2026 Atlantic storm-name list, as published by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), is:
Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
As of Wednesday, the NHC says no tropical cyclone activity is expected in the Atlantic during the next seven days.
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