Another area to watch in the tropics as hurricane season begins Monday

A look at typical June development zones in the tropics

Potential Tropical Development

ORLANDO, Fla.- – It’s not even June yet and we have had two named storms; albeit weak and short-lived. The area of low pressure east of the Bahamas is not expected to develop as it meets up with a cold front and gets torn apart.

Another, new area has been highlighted by the National Hurricane Center as an area to watch for possible tropical development over the next five days. Tropical Storm Amanda in the Pacific is expected to cross over Central America and enter the Bay of Campeche next week. Once it reemerges over the warm waters, there is a chance a tropical system materializes. The National Hurricane Center currently gives this entity a 50 percent chance for development over the next 5 days. Where it goes after that is uncertain because it hasn’t redeveloped yet. Early indications are that something could head toward the North Gulf Coast by the weekend.

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This cluster of storms emerging from Central America is a result of the Central American Gyre, a broad area of low pressure that typically develops this time of the year. On occasion, clusters of storms get flung out into the Eastern Pacific, Carribbean, Bay of Campeche or Gulf of Mexico and develop into tropical systems.

The Central American Gyre is a broad area of low pressure that typically develops this time of year. This can be a source for tropical systems in both the Atlantic Basin and Eastern Pacific.

Climatologically speaking, this is the main area we watch for tropical development in June. The other off of the East Coast of Florida as late-season, weak cold fronts could still visit the southeast coast.

Where the lines begin is where the storms were named. Most storms in June develop in the Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico. East of Florida is another hot spot for early season development.

Since 1954, most tropical systems in June have origins in those locations. The typical development zones in June are highlighted in yellow.

Storms tend to develop in the Caribbean, Bay of Campeche, western Gulf of Mexico and east of Florida in June.

Tune into News 6 on June 1, the official start of hurricane season, for a full day of storm-prep coverage. Submit your questions for a chance to have them answered from 7-8 p.m.

To stay up to date on potential approaching storms, download the Pinpoint Weather App and Pinpoint Hurricane Tracker for free:

Pinpoint Weather App

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Hurricane Tracker App

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About the Author:

Jonathan Kegges joined the News 6 team in June 2019 and now covers weather on TV and all digital platforms.

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