National Hurricane Center tracks Invest 97L, now with high chance of development. What to know

Date:2025-08-10 21:23:24 Category:News Views:2 Comment:0

Two Atlantic weather systems with potential of developing into topical depressions next week are being watched by the National Hurricane Center on Aug. 10.

Invest 97L, an area of low pressure associated with tropical wave now has a high probability of developing next week. Invest 96L had disorganized showers and thunderstorms with a lower chance to develop, NHC forecasters said in their Tropical Weather Outlook.

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The next named storms of the Atlantic hurricane season will be Erin and Fernand. The fifth-named storm of the season historically develops Aug. 22, followed by the sixth-named storm on Aug. 29, according to AccuWeather.

"The tropics remain quiet, and are likely to stay that way for another 10 days or more." said Ryan Truchelut, WeatherTiger meteorologist who provides regular hurricane season forecasts for the USA TODAY Network. "Still, we know well hurricane seasons can be nowhere to be found, then suddenly impossible to avoid. While there is hope the active peak months of hurricane season may not translate into another awful year in human terms, the reality is that U.S. hurricane impacts are likely and to be expected over the next few months."

Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 2 a.m. Aug. 10:

Where are Invest 96L and Invest 97L, and where are they going?

Invest 96L is a tropical wave in the central Atlantic moving northward. Invest 97L is a broad area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave that is moving west-northwestward across the easter and central tropical Atlantic.

They both could become a tropical depression early to mid next week.

Spaghetti models for Invest 97L

Spaghetti models for Invest 96L

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

➤ Track Invest 96L

➤ How often has Florida been impacted, threatened by August hurricanes? We took a look back

What tropical waves, disturbances are in Atlantic basin now? How likely are they to strengthen?

Invest 97L: A broad area of low pressure, associated with a tropical wave, is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms just to the east and southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form by the middle to latter portion of this week while moving west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds are possible today and Monday across portions of the Cabo Verde Islands.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: low, 10 percent.
- Formation chance through seven days: high, 70 percent.

Invest 96L: Disorganized showers and thunderstorms continue in association with a trough of low pressure over the central tropical Atlantic. Development of this system appears unlikely during the next couple of days due to surrounding dry air, but some gradual development is possible during the middle part of this week while the system moves northward over the central Atlantic.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near zero percent.
- Formation chance through seven days: low, 20 percent.

What do the colored, hatched areas on the NOAA map mean?

The hatched areas on the National Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.

The colors make it visibly clear how likely a system could develop, with yellow being low, orange medium, and red high.

The National Hurricane Center generally doesn't issue tropical advisories until there is a named storm, but there is an exception.

"If a system is near land and there is potential for development, the National Hurricane Center won't wait before it issues advisories, even if the system hasn't become an actual storm. This gives residents time to prepare," Rhome said.

Is there a hurricane coming to Florida?

No, but remember conditions can change rapidly.

The busiest period of the hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October and activity is picking up.

What should you do now to prepare for hurricane season?

Be prepared before there's a storm coming.

Officials regularly encourage Florida residents to prepare for storms before a hurricane is approaching while shelves are full stocked and you aren't battling crowds all rushing to the store at the same time.

"It only takes one storm to make it an impactful year for your community," the National Hurricane Center Miami posted on X. "Hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint."

On Aug. 1, specific hurricane supplies became permanently tax free in Florida, ranging from batteries to generators.

➤ See list of emergency supplies you can now buy tax free

Florida weather radar for Aug. 10, 2025

Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida

When is the Atlantic hurricane season?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.