Tropical Storm Dexter, two more storms, spin in Atlantic; is Delaware, NJ in danger?

Date:2025-08-04 23:52:02 Category:US Views:1 Comment:0

Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the Atlantic Sunday night, Aug. 3, becoming the fourth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season as the National Hurricane Center tracks two other storms.

The NHC said in its latest advisory early Monday, Aug. 4 Tropical Storm Dexter was located northwest of Bermuda and tracking away from the U.S. coast; however, NHC forecasts show those along the Delaware and Jersey coasts will feel the impacts of the system with life-threatening rip currents possible.

Here's the latest on Tropical Storm Dexter, its impact on New Jersey, Delaware and the Philadelphia region and two other systems being watched in the Atlantic.

Where is Tropical Storm Dexter?

Tropical Storm Dexter was located in the Atlantic Ocean about 255 miles northwest of Bermuda, as of the morning of Monday, Aug. 4, according to the latest briefing from the National Hurricane Center. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph with higher gusts. It'll likely strengthen slightly during the next couple of days before dissipating by Wednesday.

What is Tropical Storm Dexter path?

Tropical Storm Dexter formed off the coast of North Carolina, however, the NHC said it is moving east-northeast away from the East Coast, and that is expected to continue through early Tuesday, meaning there won't be any impact to the U.S. or New Jersey and Delaware coasts.

Tropical Storm Dexter became the fourth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on Aug. 3, 2025.

Tropical Storm Dexter impact on NJ, Delaware

Life-threatening rip currents and high surf along the entire Jersey and Delaware coasts are possible through Tuesday, Aug. 5, due to Tropical Storm Dexter, according to alerts from the National Hurricane Center. The risk is moderate (yellow), meaning rips may appear suddenly.

Tropical Storm Dexter is located in the Atlantic, and while moving away from the U.S., it's creating rip currents along the East Coast. This is a map showing the risk of moderate rip currents along the New Jersey shore on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

What to do if you're caught in a rip current

Hurricanes and tropical storms that are far away from U.S. shorelines still create deadly rip currents and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration.

The weather may appear nice, but never assume the water is safe, so be sure to swim where lifeguards are present. Here's some tips if you are caught in a rip current:

Relax, stay calm and float to conserve energy
Do NOT try to swim directly to shore
Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull
If you feel you cannot reach the shoreline, face the shore and call or wave for help

Satellite image of Tropical Storm Dexter as of 8 a.m. on Aug. 4, 2025.

NHC tracking 2 other systems

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two tropical waves, or disturbances, in the Atlantic as of Monday, Aug. 4.

Southeastern U.S. coast wave: Located a few hundred miles off the southeastern coast of the U.S., near Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, with gradual development possible midway through the week as the system moves west/northwest. This system has a 50% chance of forming into a tropical cyclone through the next seven days.
Central tropical Atlantic wave: This is a tropical wave moving off the west coast of Africa, with environmental conditions appearing favorable for it to develop into a tropical depression near the end of the week. The system, moving west/northwest across the Atlantic Ocean, has a 50% chance of formation over the next seven days.

National Hurricane Center map: See what is being tracked

The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Dexter, along with two tropical waves, or tropical disturbances, in the Atlantic basin, shown in the yellow hatched area and orange hatched areas.

What is the Atlantic hurricane forecast going forward?

A steep increase in tropical activity has historically occurred over the next 4-6 weeks in the Atlantic basin, according to The Weather Channel. This is due to water temperatures nearing their annual peak, Saharan air typically mixed out, wind shear decreasing and high instability across the Atlantic basin, forecasters said. These are all favorable for increased tropical formation.

Tropical Storm Dexter formed earlier than the historical average for the fourth storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. On average, the fourth named storm occurs around Aug. 15. Historically, the first named hurricane of the Atlantic season forms by Aug. 11, according to NHC data compiled between 1991 and 2020.

Tropical Storm Dexter spaghetti model

The below spaghetti model using National Hurricane Center data shows the possible tragectory of Tropical Storm Dexter, with each line representing various high-performing models.

Atlantic hurricane tracker

Use the hurricane tracker below to keep an eye on the Atlantic Hurricane Season 2025 and monitor all storms near the U.S. that could impact Delaware and New Jersey.

When is the Atlantic hurricane season 2025?

The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The "peak" of hurricane season typically falls on Sept. 10, according to AccuWeather.

When does hurricane season end?

While 97% of tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic occurs between the six-month period ending Nov. 30, there is "nothing magical" about the dates, and hurricanes can occur any time outisde that time, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Atlantic hurricane season 2024

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was very active with 18 named storms and two Category 5 hurricanes, causing the deaths of hundreds of people and widespread destruction. Five hurricanes roared ashore between Texas and Florida, with impacts felt across hard-hit areas like western North Carolina and through the Appalachians, according to The Weather Channel. Despite multiple strong storms — Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton battered the southern states — New Jersey was spared the brunt of any named storms in 2024.

2025 Atlantic hurricane season names

Storms receive a name once they reach tropical storm strength, with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Here's this year's 2025 Atlantic hurricane season names. The ones in bold show the names that remain, with Erin next on list.