Janice R. Andrews
Early Friday morning in the central Atlantic, Tropical Storm Gordon formed. It is the seventh named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Many weather experts think this season will be very busy, and this storm is just the beginning of bigger storms that could come later.
Gordon was about 1,045 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on Friday night. That’s more than 2,400 miles away from the East Coast of the United States. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm is moving west-northwest at 12 mph and has top sustained winds of about 40 mph. Forecasters think that Gordon may start to weaken by Saturday and could become a tropical depression over the next few days, even though it is expected to get a little stronger.
Gordon’s Planned Course and Strength
According to the latest prediction from the National Hurricane Center, Gordon will move slowly west across the open Atlantic. From where the storm is headed, it looks like it will keep drifting in the ocean, and most models that predict the weather say it will curve away from North America. Gordon is not likely to be a threat to the U.S. homeland if this happens.
At this point, Gordon is not expected to get stronger enough to become a hurricane. However, if it does, it will be the fifth hurricane of the season, after Beryl, Debby, Ernesto, and Francine. Forecasters are still being careful because tropical systems can act in strange ways at times.
An unusual slowdown in activity in the Atlantic
In the Atlantic since August 12, Gordon is only the second named storm to form. This strange lull in activity has caused some concern, especially since the storm season was expected to be very busy. Hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University says that this level of calm in storm building in the Atlantic has not been seen since 1997.
Even though it has been quiet lately, meteorologists still see a busy end to the season ahead, with more storms possible in the coming weeks. At first, it was thought that 2024 would have as many as 33 named storms, which is a lot more than the usual 14 named storms and seven hurricanes.
Spaghetti models and how accurate forecasts are
If you’re keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Gordon, it’s important to remember that not all computer models are the same. The National Hurricane Center only uses the most accurate tracking tools to figure out where a storm will go. These “spaghetti models” show a number of different lines, but their accuracy can vary a lot. Forecasters at the NHC warn people to be careful when using less reliable models and stress that they only use the best four or five models for official predictions.
Are There Any Other Storms Coming?
Meteorologists are also keeping an eye on a possible storm that is forming closer to the Southeast coast of the United States. Within the next few days, a non-tropical low-pressure area could form off the coast of the southeastern United States. This system could then change into a subtropical or tropical system early next week. If this storm gets stronger and is given a name, it will be called Tropical Storm Helene.
There is also another storm going on in the central Atlantic right now, but the NHC doesn’t think it will become a hurricane.
As long as storm season lasts, analysts will keep a close eye on what’s happening in the Atlantic. As the weather gets better for storms, there may be more tropical action over the next few weeks.
