The National Hurricane Center is now monitoring not one — but two — systems that have the potential to become the first named storms of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.
The most likely is a non-tropical low-pressure area that emerged northeast of Bermuda earlier this week.
This system was located around 300 miles northeast of Bermuda on Friday afternoon and has become better organized, forecasters say.
It has a 90% chance of developing into a tropical depression — and potentially Tropical Storm Ana or Bill — as early as this weekend as it moves west to west-southwest toward the northeast of Bermuda.
Forecasters say the system could strengthen into a named storm but it could also be hindered by less conducive conditions once it moves to the northeast by Saturday night or Sunday, and will be no threat to the U.S.
A second, disorganized system is forming in the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas coast and could develop into a short-lived tropical depression or storm before moving inland over the northwestern Gulf coast Friday night, forecasters say.
This system has a 60% chance of development over the next two days. But even if it does not further strengthen, it is forecast to produce heavy rainfall over parts of southeastern Texas and southeastern Louisiana over the next few days.
The official start of hurricane season is June 1.
