|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by ERIN PARROTT
***
With multiple systems brewing in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring Hurricane Gabrielle and two tropical waves on a potential collision course off of the Eastern Seaboard.
Gabrielle – the season’s second major hurricane – is no threat to the United States. As of 8:00 a.m. AST on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), it was located at latitude 35.8° N longitude 50.2° W – or 1,285 miles west of the Azores. The system was packing maximum sustained winds near 115 miles per hour with higher gusts, NHC forecasters said in an advisory.
As with prior storms we covered, Gabrielle underwent rapid intensification over a 22-hour window – jumping from a tropical on storm Sunday morning to a category three hurricane by early Monday.
While Gabrielle will spare the continental United States her ravages, the two newest tropical waves pose much greater threats. Dubbed Invest 93L and 94L, both disturbances are expected to develop into tropical storms – and potentially hurricanes – within the next few days.
***
RELATED | GABRIELLE EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN
***
Yet to be determined? How they interact with prevailing weather patterns along the coast – and with each other.
The first tropical wave, Invest 93L, has been described by forecasters as “an elongated area of low pressure located several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands,” a wave which “continues to show signs of organization.”
“Environmental conditions are forecast to be favorable for further development, and a tropical depression is likely to form later today or Thursday while the system moves west-northwestward into the western tropical Atlantic,” forecasters noted early Wednesday.
Invest 93L has a 90% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours.
***
8AM Tropical Weather Outlook: We continue to monitor 2 systems with a high chance of development in the next 7 days in the western Atlantic. For more information visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/xXKiOn6Kfg
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 24, 2025
***
Meanwhile, the second tropical wave – located over the northeastern Caribbean Sea – has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next seven days.
“This wave is expected to move west-northwestward at 15 to 20 miles per hour, spreading heavy rainfall and gusty winds into Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,” forecasters noted. “They system is then expected to slow down and turn northwestward when it reaches the southwestern Atlantic late this week.”
“Environmental conditions are forecast to be more conducive for development in a few days, and a tropical depression is likely to form when the disturbance is in the vicinity of the Bahamas,” forecasters continued.
“This second wave currently has a high chance of developing during the middle to latter part of this week,” said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. “Should this wave develop instead of the one farther west, steering currents would guide this storm east of the U.S., but it could be another concern for Bermuda by the weekend.”
***
If the lead tropical wave fizzles but the second one develops and tracks near or west of Bermuda, forecasters say it could bring rough seas and surf to U.S. Atlantic beaches this weekend. If both systems form, one would likely dominate the other given their close proximity.
Even veteran forecasters acknowledged the uncertainty associated with trying to track the dueling tropical systems.
“Many things are changing over time and 94L looks to be our biggest concern with its proximity to the southeast USA by early next week,” meteorologist Jim Cantore wrote on X. “Take away is you should be concerned about 94L blowing up this weekend not giving a lot of time for preps IF it threatens the southeast coast early next week. Certainly the Greater Antilles would deal with this first, but I would absolutely watch it on the southeast coast for early next week. This could come fast.”
According to Cantore, “given the proximity of sharing the steering and other atmospheric parameters that control and impact storms there isn’t a lot of confidence in the outcome regarding intensity or track of either of these systems, but they may play off and impact each other.”
FITSNews previously reported that forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had called for 13-19 total named storms this season – 6-10 of which were projected to become hurricanes and 3-5 of which were projected to become major hurricanes (i.e. with winds of 111 miles per hour or higher).
Last year, the tropics took forever to get cranked up – but when they did, the damage done was significant. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, in particular, caused massive destruction – leading to 2024 being the third-costliest season on record (trailing only 2005 and 2017) at $130.4 billion in total losses.
The fallout from Helene continued into 2025, too.
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we track these twin waves and assess their potential impact on the continental United States.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
