March 8, 2026, at 7:15 PM EST
The monsoon trough is observed entering the Atlantic near 11N15W and stretching to 03N18W, with the ITCZ extending beyond. Moderate convection is detected within 180 nm of the ITCZ mainly west of 26W.
In the Gulf of America, a frontal boundary along the NW Gulf states' coastline is causing scattered showers and storms north of 27N and west of 90W, with gentle to moderate southerly winds and 3 to 5 ft seas. The front is expected to dissipate soon, while a surface ridge from the Bermuda High will sustain moderate to fresh east to southwest winds with slight to moderate seas. A stronger cold front might enter by midweek, enhancing winds and seas.
The Caribbean Sea sees a strong pressure gradient creating widespread moderate to fresh trade winds and rough seas, with strong winds in the south-central region and south of Hispaniola. The forecast anticipates that the pressure gradient between a Bermuda High and a Colombian low will maintain fresh to strong trades in the eastern and central basin, particularly around northwest Colombia and near the Windward Passage and Gulf of Honduras through midweek.
The Atlantic Ocean experiences central and western surface ridging, inducing widespread moderate to fresh trade winds and rough seas in the E swell south of 27N, with strong winds noted east of the Lesser Antilles. A surface trough remains from 30N32W to 25N36W with moderate to fresh N to NE winds north of it. Fresh to strong NE winds and rough seas also prevail off northwest Africa. West of 55W, moderate to fresh easterly winds will persist, with strong winds occasionally affecting areas north of Hispaniola. A potential cold front near Florida may influence conditions by week's end.
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.
