Tropical Storm Humberto is strengthening in the west-central Atlantic and could become a major hurricane by the weekend, though it is not expected to pose a direct threat to the United States. The system is forecast to track northwest, likely staying west of Bermuda by early next week.
Far more uncertainty surrounds another disturbance, Invest 94L, which is already bringing heavy rain to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola. Forecasters say it has a high chance of developing into Tropical Storm Imelda as it moves into more favorable conditions near the Bahamas over the weekend, reports CNN.
What happens next depends on a complex mix of factors, including the strength and speed of the developing storm, its interaction with Humberto, and the steering influence of the jet stream over the US East Coast. If Humberto pulls it out to sea, the Southeast coast may be spared. But a stronger, faster storm could resist Humberto’s pull and track toward the Carolinas, with possible landfall as early as Monday.
Meteorologists warn that the two systems could also interact through the Fujiwhara effect, where storms rotate around each other, potentially flinging the new storm either offshore or closer to land. The timing and impact will become clearer by Friday or Saturday, leaving only a narrow window for preparation.
Even if the storm misses the coast, its tropical moisture could still fuel heavy rain and flooding in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic early next week. Forecasters caution that the only certainty right now is that the forecast will continue to change.
