Hurricane center keeps eyeing 2 Atlantic systems. Will one become Nadine?

Editor's note: Follow along here for updates about Atlantic storms on Oct. 19.

The National Hurricane Center continued tracking two systems in the Atlantic basin Wednesday, including one that could develop into a tropical depression later this week.

The system that could become a depression was described by the NHC Wednesday morning as a "broad area of low pressure" located over the central tropical Atlantic that is producing "disorganized showers and thunderstorms."

The disturbance, designated as AL94, is forecast to move westward to west-northwestward, and environmental conditions appear marginally conducive for gradual development during the latter part of this week, the hurricane center said in an advisory Wednesday morning.

"A tropical depression could form as the system moves near the Leeward and Virgin Islands late this week," hurricane center forecasters said.

The system does not appear to be a threat to the U.S., forecasters said, as large-scale weather patterns are predicted to push the system away from the U.S. "A path into Florida appears to be blocked, but that could change over time depending on the position and strength of other weather features," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said Wednesday.

WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry said that even if it becomes a tropical depression or Tropical Storm Nadine over the next few days, "models show it either dropping southward and weakening through the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola or getting torn up and flung out to sea and away from the U.S."

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Atlantic storm tracker

AL94 could become tropical depression or tropical storm

"It looks like any development over the next couple of days will be slow," AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva told USA TODAY on Tuesday.

The system could develop into a tropical storm as wind shear relaxes late in the week, probably Thursday or Friday. AccuWeather forecasts the system to become a tropical storm by Thursday night, early Friday, or, at the earliest, by Thursday afternoon.

"It is possible for the feature to ramp up quickly to a tropical depression or tropical storm as its core approaches or passes near the Leewards late this week," DaSilva said in an online forecast, "But, as this system travels farther to the west, whatever it becomes, could run into more hostile conditions for strengthening and organization."

The next storm that forms will get the name Nadine. It will be the 14th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which is right about the average for the number of named storms in a season.

Another system lingering in Caribbean Sea

The hurricane center also said Wednesday it is keeping tabs on a "broad area of low pressure" that could develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea by the middle to latter portions of this week.

Forecasters said some "gradual development" is possible if the system stays over water while it moves slowly northwestward toward Central America. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible across portions of Central America later this week.

As of Wednesday morning, the system was not forecast to impact the U.S.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storm tracker: NHC follows 2 systems; 1 could form tropical depression