Hurricane tracker updates: Forecasters spot first signs of danger
"We're starting to get into that time of year where we need to keep an eye on the Caribbean," AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said May 6. "At the very least, a wetter pattern down across Central America and then up into the Western Caribbean is expected."
Hurricane season officially starts June 1, but storms can and do form before that date.
What is the Central American Gyre?
A large, slow-spinning area in the atmosphere could develop somewhere around Central America, overlapping with part of the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean around the middle of May, AccuWeather said. This phenomenon, known as the Central American Gyre, can "sometimes lay the groundwork for a tropical depression or tropical storm formation."
According to the Weather Underground, Central American Gyres tend to develop on either end of the Atlantic hurricane season, as large-scale weather features rearrange themselves during the waxing and waning of northern summer.
"They also tend to have relatively weak surface winds, but they can sprawl over hundreds of miles, and they are notoriously long-lasting and slow-moving, both of which make them dangerous rain producers," noted Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson in 2020.
He added, "as smaller-scale vortexes spin around the gyre, there's always the chance that one or more will consolidate into a tropical cyclone and eventually break away from the gyre."
AccuWeather said, "While the Central American gyre itself doesn't typically become a hurricane, it can provide the conditions for disturbances to develop into tropical depressions, storms, and even hurricanes."
Could a storm affect the United States?
"Right now, while we cannot rule it out, it does not look like a track to toward the U.S. is most likely," DaSilva said. Any risk would not be until at least May 20 and likely not until May 22."
"Given the pattern, I think the most likely is it would just cross over Jamaica, Cuba, and then head out to sea," DaSilva said.
If a tropical cyclone forms from the gyre, it would be named Andrea.
More: Prepare now for hurricanes, Trump warns. Here's what you should do.
How often do tropical storms develop in May?
Outside of the traditional Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November, May is the most common month for tropical storms to develop, according to AccuWeather.
Tropical Storm Bertha was the most recent tropical storm to make landfall in the United States in May; it hit South Carolina in May 2020.
Since 2003, there have been 15 tropical cyclones that have formed before June 1. Eleven of those storms formed in May.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Massive Saharan Desert dust cloud is heading toward Florida
A massive cloud of dust that has traveled thousands of miles from the Saharan Desert is expected to reach Florida as early as June 4 before spreading through the Gulf Coast and Southeast later in the week, forecasters said. Most of the dust, which is thought to be about 2,000 miles wide from west to east and 750 miles long from north to south, will remain high in the atmosphere and have little effect on air quality and health for most people, according to AccuWeather. Floridians could start to see hazy or colorful sunrises and sunsets midweek.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Saharan dust cloud hits the US and threatens to drop 'dirty rain'
A massive cloud of Saharan dust has begun sweeping over South Florida and threatens to bring 'dirty rain'. The Saharan Air Layer drifted more than 5,000 miles from North Africa and across the Caribbean, and reached the Sunshine State on Wednesday evening. The cloud is about 2,000 miles wide and 750 miles long, according to Accuweather. It is forecast to move across the state on Thursday and bring haziness, low visibility, dry weather and heavy rain that could take the form of drops of mud. The plume will spread to more parts of the southeast US on Thursday, and may possibly travel from Florida to parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and the Gulf and southeast Atlantic Ocean by Friday. The cloud forms from a mixture of sand and minerals in the Sahara that is blown into the atmosphere. Strong winds typically push the Saharan Air Layer west over the Atlantic Ocean, and it typically hits the Caribbean and Gulf Coast a few times per year. Less commonly, the cloud creeps north toward Europe. Dust clouds happen most often from mid-May to August, with the highest frequency in mid-June and July, but they can occur any time of the year. When dust particles in the air interact with raindrops, 'dirty rain' forms. More Trending It is also referred to as muddy rain or red rain if the dust has a red hue. Dirty rain is expected to fall across Florida as the dust cloud passes. The phenomenon typically only happens several times a year. The Saharan dust can be bad for your health as they can make air quality poor. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man calmly calls to report he shot dead his wife, stepson and mother-in-law MORE: Urgent recall for 15,000 pounds of beef and meat jerky over allergy fears MORE: Trump warns that Putin wants revenge for Ukraine's drone attacks
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
US braces for 'dirty rain' as airborne threat chokes Southeast
By A massive plume of dust the size of the US is set to drop buckets of mud from the sky on the entire Southeast. The approaching dust cloud is coming from the Sahara Desert and was formed by strong winds sweeping tiny sand and mineral particles off the surface. By Thursday, meteorologists are warning that the rain in Florida, Georgia, Alabama , and the Carolinas could combine with the dust to create showers of 'dirty rain' throughout the region. Officials in Puerto Rico have already warned residents of poor air quality as the dust swept over the Caribbean earlier this week. The Saharan cloud made landfall in Florida on Wednesday. The AccuWeather team noted that most of the Saharan dust will likely remain thousands of feet high in the atmosphere, meaning it will have little impact on air quality at ground level. This year's plume is different as it's earlier, denser, and more concentrated, with higher levels of fine particles. As a result, health officials and meteorologists are keeping a close eye on its impact. The size and intensity of these clouds vary from year to year, but scientists believe shifting wind patterns and climate change may be contributing to more frequent and powerful plumes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has estimated that over 180 million tons of dust leaves Africa every year. It results in extremely dry air that local reduces thunderstorm activity in the US and cuts down on the formation of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic. If the forecasted storms in the Southeast this week overcome that dry air, it will likely mean several days of a 'muddy mix' falling from the sky. Meteorologists said that flash flooding and thunderstorms are expected throughout Florida all night on Wednesday. A slow-moving storm system will collide with the dust cloud Thursday as it moves beyond Florida, potentially bringing dust-filled showers to millions along the East Coast. At the same time, another massive plume is making its way down from Canada , filling most of the Eastern and Central US with dangerous wildfire smoke. AccuWeather has warned that air quality has already reached hazardous to dangerous levels in parts of the Dakotas, Illinois , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana, Nebraska , and Wisconsin. Forecasters are also warning that New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and most of New England will experience reduced air quality as the haze from the wildfires moves east. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said many Americans will only see the smoke cause dimmer sunsets and hazy skies, but there will still be cases where it travels closer to the ground and triggers serious breathing issues. 'There will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality,' Buckingham explained. 'That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues,' he added. The smoke is traveling east from massive forest fires in western Canadian provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. The scenes playing out this week in the northern US are similar to the apocalyptic sigh t across the East Coast in 2023, when Canadian wildfires turned the sky orange and shrouded entire city skylines. In the South, the effect of the Saharan dust cloud will have a similar impact on local skies, creating hazy skies and colorful sunrises and sunsets. People in Florida will start to see these sights starting Wednesday, with millions across the Southeast and Gulf seeing the dust-filled skies by Friday. As for the wildfire smoke in the northern half of the country, rain moving into the Upper Midwest will likely bring the smell of smoke right to people's noses, especially in Minnesota and Wisconsin. AccuWeather explained that rainfall can bring the smell of wildfire smoke down to ground level, so people standing outside when it rains will notice the odor more. However, the rainfall will also help to cleanse the air of the smoky particles and improve overall air quality in the region. Throughout the rest of summer 2025, meteorologists are expecting northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to experience the worst air quality due to the ongoing Canadian wildfires.
