Aug. 23, 2001 — With the two tropical systems that rolled through the Caribbean region this week no longer a threat, hurricane forecasters have focused their attention on two other westward moving tropical waves in the far eastern tropical Atlantic.
Hurricane forecaster Jack Beven at the National Hurricane Center noted Thursday that a tropical wave moving westward off the west coast of Africa was located several hundred miles southeast of the Cape Verde Islands. The wave does have potential for development over the next few days as it moves off to the west at 15 to 20 miles per hour.
"At the present time, it is poorly organized but does bear watching over the next few days," said Knight Quality Stations meteorologist Alan Archer.
He said that while the wave looked a bit more impressive Thursday morning on satellite photos when compared to images later in the day, there is an upper level high to the north of the wave that could accelerate its development.
By late Thursday, National Hurricane Center forecasters were describing the wave as "poorly organized," but cautioned that slow development remains possible over the next few days.
Archer said the wave, some six to eight days away from the local area, sits presently at 21 degrees west longitude. "It is elongated in its shape which causes it to extend from 4 to 18 degrees north latitude," Archer said.
Also in the tropical Atlantic, a wave located along 47 degrees west longitude is moving west at 10-15 knots. The wave became a bit better organized Thursday and by early afternoon contained a weak low-level center. While the wave did not show signs of development, satellite photos did reflect a developing area of scattered to moderate showers and thundershowers that extended from 11-13 degrees north latitude to 44-47 degrees west longitude.
A few other westward moving tropical waves showed no signs of development Thursday.