First tropical wave of the season forms in the Atlantic

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first tropical wave of the season is in the books, the National Hurricane Center said.

Officials said the wave developed on Sunday near the west coast of Africa.

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The wave comes just over three weeks before the start of hurricane season on June 1.

Channel 9 Meteorologist George Waldenberger said tropical waves, so-called low-pressure areas developing in the tropics resembling waves on maps of equal pressure, are one type of disturbance that meteorologists monitor for possible tropical development. African Easterly Waves develop over Northern Africa and can travel thousands of miles in our direction across the Atlantic.

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Waldenberger said it’s quite normal for the first tropical wave like this of the season to show up around April or May with more repeating through October or November. On average, about 60 waves like this form in this region per year, with many not forming into hurricanes. However, as we get deeper into the season, of the intense hurricanes that do form, roughly 85% originate as this type of disturbance.

He said this first tropical wave of the season may very well stay distant and disorganized. For Central Florida, it’s another, much-closer system that will impact our forecast later this week, which is now developing off the eastern U.S. coast.

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“With an active season expected, now is the time to begin stocking up your disaster supply kit,” officials from the Florida Division of Emergency Management tweeted on Monday.

Click here for more information on how you can prepare for the upcoming storm season.

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