Tropical Weather Discussion for North America, Central America, Gulf of America, Caribbean Sea, northern sections of South America, and Atlantic Ocean to the African coast from the Equator to 31N. The information is based on satellite imagery, weather observations, radar, and meteorological analysis as of June 14, 2026.
Currently, several tropical waves are being monitored. The eastern Atlantic wave along 27W is producing scattered moderate to isolated strong convection. Another wave in the central Atlantic along 43W-44W shows isolated moderate convection. A tropical wave near 60W is bringing scattered strong convection, and in the Caribbean, the wave along 85W is associated with moderate to strong convection along the monsoon trough.
The Gulf of America is experiencing widely scattered moderate convection in the western Gulf due to an elongated area of low pressure. There are fresh to strong SE winds and moderate to rough seas west of the line from SW Louisiana to NE Yucatan. This pattern is expected to persist, with strong southerly winds as the Atlantic ridge builds into the Gulf.
Over the Caribbean Sea, strong convection is observed near the Cayman Islands and along the monsoon trough in the southwest. Fresh to gale-force easterly trade winds with rough seas are seen in the central basin south of 19N. The Atlantic ridge influences these conditions, leading to fresh to strong winds, particularly off Colombia, with a slight decrease in strength expected across the Caribbean as the ridge shifts.
In the Atlantic Ocean, scattered showers and thunderstorms are affecting parts of the Bahamas and Cuba. The Atlantic ridge supports moderate to fresh easterly winds and moderate seas, especially south of 22N. Fresh to strong NE winds are also noted north of 15N. The ridge will reorganize, affecting wind patterns, with strong SW winds developing in the northwest waters as a weak frontal system approaches the SE U.S.
June 14, 2026, at 6:00 AM EDTThe 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.
