Disturbance forms in eastern Atlantic as hurricane season nears its peak

The hurricane season is inching closer to its months of peak activity, and after nearly a month of calm in the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters are tracking a new disturbance off the African coast.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center gave the tropical wave that will move off the west coast of Africa later in the weekend low odds of developing. But forecasters are expecting some gradual development as it heads west across the eastern and central Atlantic next week.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated predictions for activity this hurricane season this past week.

Experts are now predicting 14 to 20 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five of them a category 3 or higher.

“We’re just getting into the peak months of August through October for hurricane development, and we anticipate that more storms are on the way,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad wrote in a news release Thursday.

There have been three named storms so far this year: Alex, Bonnie and Colin. Tropical Storm Alex, the first named storm, dumped as much as 12 inches of rain on parts of South Florida.

The six-month-long hurricane season ends on Nov. 30. The next named storm will be Danielle.