More than two months after the start of hurricane season, there's something brewing in the tropics − forecasters are monitoring at least two tropical waves in the Atlantic.
According to the Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, weather advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, there's a tropical wave in the central tropical Atlantic with low chance of development and one in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic with a higher chance of formation (see below). In addition, Florida has scattered showers on the weekend forecast.
Will one become the next storm?
Arthur, the first named storm of the hurricane season, briefly strengthened into tropical storm status June 17, 2026, before the hurricane center downgraded it to a disturbance not long
after. Tropical Storm Bertha formed more than a month later − July 20, 2026, made its second landfall three days later near the Texas-Louisiana border, and quickly weakened.
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There have been no other named storms so far into the second month of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
In 2025, no storms made landfall in the U.S. during hurricane season, but it was an active one.
The hurricane center graphics and live weather radars below show what's swirling in the tropics (if anything) as well as the conditions for potential rain, flash flood and other warnings.
Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30 every year, with the most activity between August and October. Should a weather system develop into a tropical storm, the third system would be named Cristobal, shown on the list of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season names below.
The hurricane center resumed its tropics advisories ahead of hurricane season − on May 15.
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Keep reading for information about tropical storm activity for Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026.
National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, forecast on tropical activity: Is there a tropical storm or hurricane now?
According to the Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, tropical outlook from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, forecasters were keeping watch on two systems in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. The graphic above automatically updates with the most recent location for any or all disturbances. The NHC reported:
In the central tropical Atlantic, shown in yellow: A broad area of showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave was several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Some gradual development of this system is possible during the early to middle part of this week while it moves westward across the central tropical Atlantic. Upper-level winds are expected to become less conducive for development later in the week when the system approaches the Lesser Antilles.
- Formation chance through 48 hours is low near 0 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days is low near 20 percent.
In the eastern and central tropical Atlantic, shown in orange: Another tropical wave was expected to move off the west coast of Africa early this week. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for gradual development thereafter and a tropical depression could form during the latter half of this week while the system moves generally westward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.
- Formation chance through 48 hours was low near 0 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days was medium at 40 percent.
In its tropical weather discussion, the National Hurricane Center provided information about Florida, reporting that:
Scattered showers continue off northeast Florida, north of 29N and W of 80W, to the east of a low level trough moving across the northeast Gulf of America and extending into southeast Georgia. A broad ridge dominates the waters north of 25N across the basin, broken only by a trough reaching from 31N49W to 27N56W. Saharan air and suspended dust is evident east of this trough, north of 13N. The pattern is supporting moderate to fresh trade winds south of 22N and west of 55W into the E Caribbean, where seas are 4 to 7 feet. South of 22N and east of 55W gentle to moderate trades prevail to the Cabo Verde Islands, where seas are 4 to 5 feet. Fresh to strong northeast winds and 5-8 foot seas extend from the Canary Islands southwestward to 20N. Elsewhere within the ridge, gentle to moderate breezes and 3-5 foot seas prevail.
For the forecast west of 55W, scattered showers across the NW zones off of Florida will diminish today as the surface trough over the northeastern Gulf of America, continues to move NW away from the area. The Bermuda High will shift southward to along 28N through Tuesday. Fresh east winds will prevail north of Hispaniola and in the approach to the Windward Passage through the period, pulsing to strong speeds each evening and night. The Atlantic ridge will drop a bit farther southward later next week, which may result in stronger easterly winds.
In addition, the National Hurricane Center was tracking these tropical waves on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026:
- A tropical wave was near 37W from 08N to 17N, moving west near 15 knots. Scattered moderate convection is from 08N to 13N between 32W-44W.
- A tropical wave was along 46W from 13N to 24N, moving west at 10 to 15 knots. Saharan Air surrounds this wave, and thus no significant convection currently accompanies the wave.
- A tropical wave was along 64W and S of 20N, moving west at 10 to 15 knots. Scattered moderate convection is along the wave axis and N of 14N.
The Atlantic basin consists of the northern Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America. NOAA changed its naming convention for the Gulf of Mexico after the U.S. Geological Survey changed the name on U.S. maps per President Trump's order.
The USA TODAY Network in Florida will produce daily tropics watch advisories.
- 2026 Atlantic hurricane season predictions
Is it raining in Florida today? Live weather radar
Shown is the National Weather Service radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Southeast United States and parts of Central Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
What are the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season names? Did your name make the hurricane season names list?
Since 1953, the National Hurricane Center has released a list of names in alphabetical order for Atlantic tropical storms before each season begins, which it recycles every six years. It retires names of storms that are excessively deadly or costly, if it would be insensitive or inappropriate to use them again. These are the 2026 Atlantic tropical cyclone names:
Arthur, which formed as a tropical storm June 17, 2026Bertha, which formed as a tropical storm July 20, 2026- Cristobal
- Dolly
- Edouard
- Fay
- Gonzalo
- Hanna
- Isaias
- Josephine
- Kyle
- Leah
- Marco
- Nana
- Omar
- Paulette
- Rene
- Sally
- Teddy
- Vicky
- Wilfred
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Contributing: Cheryl McCloud and Olivia Franklin, USA TODAY Network-Florida
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane center tracking tropical waves. Will storm Cristobal form?
