Invest 94L
With the Atlantic hurricane season underway, meteorologists are closely monitoring Invest 94L, a tropical disturbance showing signs of development. As of now, the system's potential impact on Florida remains uncertain, with various models providing differing predictions about its trajectory. The National Hurricane Center has noted favorable conditions for further strengthening, prompting coastal regions to prepare for possible storm conditions. Residents are advised to keep an eye on official forecasts as professionals continue to track the storm's progress.
In addition to Invest 94L, other systems, including Invest 92L, have emerged, raising concerns over multiple storms affecting the Atlantic basin. The spaghetti models, used for tracking storm paths, indicate a range of possible routes, heightening the need for preparedness in vulnerable areas. Past disturbances, like Humberto and Imelda, demonstrated the unpredictable nature of these weather patterns, reminding citizens of the importance of vigilance during the peak hurricane months. Continuous updates will be essential in helping communities safeguard against potential threats posed by these evolving systems.
August 22, 2026, at 2:15 PM EDT
Tropical waves are being monitored across various regions. A far eastern Atlantic tropical wave is progressing westward with noted convection. In the central Atlantic, two waves are moving west, but show no significant convection. In the western Caribbean, a wave is producing scattered moderate to strong convection from western Panama to eastern Nicaragua.
The Gulf of America is experiencing scattered showers and thunderstorms along a trough from northern Georgia to the Louisiana coast and off Veracruz. High pressure over the basin ensures light breezes and slight seas, with fresh winds expected north and west of the Yucatan Peninsula each evening.
In the Caribbean Sea, a pressure gradient is creating fresh to strong trades in the south-central area, with moderate to fresh trades elsewhere. A cluster of showers and thunderstorms is active north of Bonaire. The forecast indicates continued fresh to strong trades with resultant rough seas in the central Caribbean.
The Atlantic Ocean sees high pressure influencing the western Atlantic. Moderate to fresh NE to E winds and 5-7 ft seas are noted, with scattered showers north of 25N. Two tropical waves are expected to affect regions south of the Bahamas and could increase trades in these areas early next week.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2025.
Named Storms: 8 to 14
Hurricanes: 3 to 6
Major Hurricanes (Category 3 or higher): 1 to 3
Accumulate Cyclone Energy (ACE): 95% to 180% of the median
Primary Influencing Factor: Developing El Niño conditions expected to suppress Atlantic storm activity
This forecast indicates:
Despite the lower forecast, NOAA emphasizes that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to create a major disaster, and residents in hurricane-prone areas should still prepare as usual for the season.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30Key: Active Past Future
*Press/click the storm name to view additional detailsDespite fewer total storms than forecasted, the 2025 season produced several extremely intense hurricanes, including three Category 5 systems, making it one of the more powerful Atlantic seasons in recent history.
2020 - 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.
