Storm tracker: National Hurricane Center tracking new disturbance in central Atlantic

The National Hurricane Center is tracking a new disturbance in the central Atlantic Ocean, the agency said in its latest advisory issued Tuesday.

An area of low pressure could form in the central portion of the tropical Atlantic in a few days, according to the NHC, where environmental conditions appear "generally favorable" for slow development of the system this weekend into early next week.

The disturbance is forecast to move westward to west-northwestward at 10 to 15 miles per hour and has a 20 percent chance of formation through the next seven days, according to the hurricane center.

Hurricane Gilma tracker: See projected path of second Pacific storm approaching Hawaii

Atlantic storm tracker

Unusually quiet in the Atlantic

So far this year, including the three that are spinning Monday, there have been more storms in the Pacific than the Atlantic, and that's a bit of a surprise, forecasters say. In addition, it's been eerily calm in the Atlantic over the past week or so as we approach what's traditionally the busiest time of the season.

"It is quiet out there," Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach told USA TODAY on Monday. "I certainly wasn't expecting this when we put out our most recent seasonal forecast!"

Klotzbach said that if we look at named storms (tropical storms, subtropical storms and hurricanes), the last time that we went from Aug. 21 to Sept. 2 with no named storm activity in the Atlantic was 1997.

Francine will be next

The next name on the list of names for Atlantic storms is Francine, which will be followed by Gordon, Helene and Isaac. Storm names are maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. Back in the 1950s, 1960s and most of the 1970s, storm names were only female, but in 1979 male names began to be used as well.

Busy time in the Pacific

About 945 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, Hurricane Gilma is expected to keep heading west-northwestward with increased forward speed on Tuesday, forecasters said.

The storm was moving west at about 13 miles per hour on Tuesday morning as maximum sustained winds declined to about 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Before its forecasted gradual weakening, the center said Gilma will likely "remain a hurricane as it approaches the central Pacific basin."

The upcoming hurricane nears after Tropical Storm Hone crossed south of the Big Island early Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane bringing severe rain and even up to 18 inches in some areas. Hone later weakened into a topical storm Sunday night, moving west of the Aloha State.

Severe weather flooded major roadways and caused power outages for thousands of homes and businesses. Several Big Island beaches closed while five public schools canceled classes due to the dangerous conditions. However, there were no major reports of damage.

If Gilma arrives close enough soon, it would be the first time two named storms come within 300 miles of the main Hawaiian islands in a week's span since 1992, according to AccuWeather.

A third system named Hector reached tropical storm status Sunday as it developed about 1,270 miles west of Baja California, the NHC reported.

Hector, which sits east of Gilma, was generating sustained winds of up to 45 mph on Tuesday heading west-northwest at 12 mph. Forecasters said it will slowly get weaker over the next couple of days.

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: National Hurricane Center tracking new disturbance in central Atlantic