The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has sprung into observation mode on Sunday (July 28) as a new tropical disturbance is poised to develop on its approach to the Eastern Caribbean.

Coming just over three weeks since Hurricane Beryl’s historic onslaught through the region, the system, located in the central tropical Atlantic, is expected to interact with an approaching tropical wave during the next several days.

NHC forecasters advise that environmental conditions appear conducive for further development, with a tropical depression likely to form by midweek as it nears the northern Leeward Islands.

Current computer-generated projections also suggest the area of disturbed weather could potentially track into the Greater Antilles or the open Atlantic.

Formation chances are listed as “medium” at 40 per cent over the next seven days.

The Jamaica Meteorological Service is also keeping a watchful eye on the system.

Be assured that we are fully aware of an area of disturbed weather over the central, tropical Atlantic Ocean that is showing a low potential for developing into a tropical cyclone over the next few days. We will continue to monitor its progress.

— MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) July 27, 2024

The Atlantic Basin has largely lacked organised tropical activity since Beryl’s rampage, as conditions were dominated by the hurricane-stifling Saharan Air Layer (SAL).

However, with the dreaded peak of the 2024 season approaching (between mid-August and mid-October), meteorologists anticipate a ramp-up in tropical disturbance formations spurred on by record sea surface temperatures and the La Niña climatic phenomenon.

Debby is the next available name in the North Atlantic Hurricane Season.