Tracking The Tropics: Two Disturbances In Atlantic Given High Potential For Development

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicholas continues to drench parts of the Florida panhandle and the southeast as deep tropical moisture is producing heavy rain and the potential for flooding.

In the western Atlantic, showers and thunderstorms have become slightly less organized in association with a tropical wave located a little more than 800 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

The National Hurricane Center says this disturbance has a high potential of cyclone formation in the next 2 to 5 days. A tropical depression is likely to form late this week or this weekend. This system is expected to move westward to west-northwestward across the tropical Atlantic during the next several days.

A broad area of low pressure located about 250 miles south-southeast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina has become a little better organized. The National Hurricane Center says this system has a high chance of cyclone formation in the next 2 to 5 days. Environmental conditions are expected to become more conducive for development, and a tropical depression is still likely to form during the next day or two while the system moves northward to north-northeastward off the southeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. coasts. Regardless of development, this system could bring high surf to portions of the southeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. coasts later this week and this weekend.

And a tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa in the far eastern tropical Atlantic on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center says this wave has a low potential for cyclone formation. Environmental conditions are forecast to be marginally conducive for some gradual development over the next few days while the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward over the far eastern Atlantic.