March 23, 2026, at 5:00 AM EDT
The monsoon trough extends into the Atlantic from the coast of Sierra Leone, continuing southwestward with scattered moderate convection observed south of 04N and east of 20W.
In the Gulf of America, a broad subtropical ridge supports fresh easterly winds and moderate seas off northern Yucatan, with dry weather prevailing across the basin. High pressure in the eastern Gulf will maintain gentle to moderate SE winds, with a trough over the Bay of Campeche causing occasional moderate to fresh winds near the Yucatan Peninsula at night through mid-week.
The Caribbean Sea features high pressure over the eastern Gulf, with fresh to strong NE winds over the northern Caribbean, south of Cuba, Hispaniola, and through the Windward Passage, with seas ranging 4-7 ft. A weak surface trough in the central Caribbean brings a few showers south of Jamaica. Building high pressure over the western Atlantic will continue to influence the region, with fresh to strong winds and moderate seas expected offshore Colombia later in the week.
In the Atlantic Ocean, a cold front extends from 31N52W to the USVI, with strong winds and 8 to 11 ft seas north of 24N between 50W and 65W. A subtropical ridge in the SW North Atlantic maintains moderate conditions. In the eastern Atlantic, a low pressure near the Canary Islands results in strong winds and rough seas, with similar conditions supported by N-NW swell. The cold front is expected to move into the central Atlantic and dissipate, while a new front near Florida and Bermuda will bring strong winds and rough seas to areas north of 28N.
The 2026 Hurricane season starts on June 1, 2026 in
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2025.
Named Storms: 13 to 19
Hurricanes: 6 to 10
Major Hurricanes (Category 3 or higher): 3 to 5
Accumulate Cyclone Energy (ACE): 95% to 180% of the median
This forecast indicates a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30Key: Active Past Future
*Press/click the storm name to view additional details2020 - 30 named storms, 14 hurricanes
Hurricane Katrina (2005) - $125 billion
Harvey (2017) - $125 billion
Hurricane Patricia (2015) - 215 mph (345 km/h)
Hurricane Allen (1980) - 190 mph (305 km/h)
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating system that classifies hurricanes based on their sustained wind speeds and the potential damage they can cause. It helps communicate the intensity of hurricanes and the likely impacts on structures and environments. The scale does not account for factors like storm surge or rainfall, focusing only on wind speeds.
Watching the Tropics was originally built as a personal storm tracker with only the most important charts for the Atlantic hurricane basin. Numerous sites are available for tracking hurricanes, but Watching the Tropics minimizes extra "noise" and shows only what you need.
Designed in Florida by
"Watching the tropics" refers to monitoring tropical weather systems, such as tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes, in regions close to the equator. Meteorologists and weather enthusiasts often use this phrase during hurricane season to indicate that they're keeping an eye on developing weather systems that could potentially strengthen and impact areas like the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.
Websites, news outlets, or weather services also use "Tropics Watch" to keep the public informed about the latest developments in the tropics, especially during peak hurricane season.
An "invest" refers to an area of disturbed weather that meteorologists are investigating for potential tropical development. The term "invest" is short for "investigation area."
When an area is designated as an invest, it is given a number (between 90 and 99) followed by the letter "L" for systems in the North Atlantic or "E" for systems in the Eastern Pacific. For example, "Invest 91L" would refer to the 91st area of interest in the Atlantic basin for that season.
The designation of an invest allows meteorologists to focus their resources on a specific area, utilize specialized forecasting models, and issue updates as needed.
A tropical depression is a type of tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of less than 39 mph (34 knots or 63 km/h).
Key characteristics:
It's the first stage of development in the tropical cyclone classification used by the National Hurricane Center, followed by tropical storm and then hurricane.
