Tropical Storm Patty could form next week

As Tropical Storm Oscar moves toward the Bahamas, forecasters are keeping an eye on an area of ​​the Caribbean for activity that could become Tropical Storm Patty next week.

AccuWeather released a report on the threat on Monday, noting that the report referred to an advanced risk development zone in the Caribbean that could provide the right conditions for Tropical Storm Patty to form next week.

“We suspect there will be another attempt at a tropical depression or tropical storm brewing in the western Caribbean mid- to late next week,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said in the report .

The AccuWeather report said storms that form in this region in late October or early November typically hit Central America or head north-northeast toward Cuba, Hispaniola and the Bahamas. If the storm takes the latter path, it could cause even more damage to Cuba, which was hit by rain and wind from Tropical Storm Oscar on Sunday evening. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicated that Oscar's maximum sustained winds were 40 miles per hour and that the storm would continue to cause life-threatening flooding in parts of Cuba through midweek.

As for potential Tropical Storm Patty, it is still too early to determine the direct path. The NHC has not yet made a prediction about the potential threat. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Carl Erickson said Newsweek that the storm is unlikely to target the United States

The new tropical threat comes several weeks after Florida experienced two major hurricanes, first Hurricane Helene in late September and then Hurricane Milton nearly two weeks later, both of which experienced rapid intensification before making landfall. Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida before moving inland and causing devastating damage in the southeastern United States, particularly North Carolina. Milton hit near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane before sweeping across the Sunshine State.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November. AccuWeather meteorologists warned that water temperatures in the Caribbean remain warm, which could provide energy for future tropical systems to form there. Combined with low wind shear, Patty could form similar to Nadine and Oscar, albeit slowly, forecasters say.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a forecast that predicted 17 to 25 named storms with winds of 39 miles per hour or more. In August, the agency updated its forecast slightly and now expects 17 to 24 this season.

As of Monday, there have been 15 named storms this hurricane season.