Two systems on the radar as hurricane season begins

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season has kicked off, with two systems being tracked intently by local and regional forecasters.

Cayman’s National Weather Service, in a severe weather notification Tuesday night, addressed the first system on the radar, which is likely to form into a tropical depression by the weekend.

“The Yucatan Channel extending to the extreme northwest Caribbean has been marked by the [US] National Hurricane Center as an area of interest for potential development of a tropical disturbance over the next 5 days. Regardless of an organized disturbance being formed, severe weather conditions are likely over the next 3 to 4 days across the Cayman Islands,” the NWS has said.

It said it will continue to monitor developments and issue warnings as needed. It advised residents to monitor progress, as forecast conditions can change over the next few days.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands, in a post on its official Facebook page Wednesday, added that the threat level to the Cayman Islands is considered low at this time.

It also added that NWS is advising small crafts exercise caution over open seas beginning Thursday.

“A small craft warning will go into effect for the Cayman Islands for Friday when winds are expected to increase to 20 to 25 knots,” it added.

The NHC, in its Wednesday morning advisory, has said that environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development.

“This system is likely to become a tropical depression while it moves northeastward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and southeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next couple of days,” it said, adding that the system has an 80% chance of formation through the next five days.

Meanwhile, the NHC said, in the southwestern Atlantic, a weak surface trough located around 200 miles northeast of the central Bahamas is producing disorganised shower activity as it interacts with an upper-level trough.

However, it said, surface pressures are currently high across the area, and significant development of this system appears unlikely as it moves generally east-northeastward over the next several days away from the southeastern United States.

For the latest information on storm activity in the Cayman Islands, as well as information on how to prepare for hurricane season, visit the ALT Storm Centre.