Tropical Weather Discussion from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, covers weather conditions across North America, Central America, the Gulf of America, the Caribbean Sea, northern South America, and the Atlantic Ocean to the African coast from the Equator to 31N, using satellite imagery, observations, and analyses. The monsoon trough and ITCZ are detailed, with scattered moderate convection south of 03N between 17W and 50W.
A ridge dominates the Gulf of America, with moderate to fresh NE to E winds and moderate seas, except in the far NE Gulf where conditions are calmer. Similar conditions are in the Yucatan Channel and the Bay of Campeche. This pattern will persist through Saturday, with slight intensifications in specific areas during the nights.
In the Caribbean, a stationary front and a trough lead to showers and thunderstorms over the NE Caribbean. High pressure supports fresh to locally strong trades in the south-central Caribbean, with high seas in certain areas. These conditions will maintain until Wednesday night, with some diminishing expected later in the week.
In the Atlantic, a Gale Warning is noted off Morocco. A stationary front north of Puerto Rico is associated with strong winds and high seas near the boundary. High pressure influences most of the Atlantic, with rough conditions east of 20W, including the Canary Islands. A weakening surface trough previously part of the stationary front will shift westward, influencing conditions along its path.
April 14, 2026, at 2:15 PM EDTThe 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.
