Invest 98L
Invest 98L has been designated in the open Atlantic, drawing attention as a potential weather system while a super El Niño continues to gain strength. Currently, forecasts from the National Hurricane Center indicate that Invest 98L is moving rapidly into the Caribbean. Meteorologists are closely monitoring its trajectory and development potential, although there is currently no indication that it will impact Florida directly. The importance of such monitoring highlights the ongoing efforts to prepare and inform communities about possible shifts in weather systems.
The general track for Invest 98L suggests it will remain over the open Atlantic, with forecast models indicating little threat to land areas, particularly Florida. Despite this, its designation highlights the necessity for vigilance during hurricane season, as conditions in the Atlantic can change rapidly. As a result, meteorologists and local authorities continue to keep a close eye on the storm's evolution to ensure public safety. The strengthening effects of a super El Niño this year further underscore the need for preparedness amid unusual weather patterns.
The tropical weather discussion covers areas including North America, Central America, the Gulf of America, the Caribbean Sea, northern sections of South America, and the Atlantic Ocean to the African coast. Notable tropical waves include one in the eastern Atlantic moving westward with associated convection, and another in the eastern Caribbean, also moving westward with scattered moderate convection. Conditions in the Gulf of America include fresh to strong winds transitioning to moderate conditions towards the weekend, influenced by a mid to upper-level trough moving towards Florida. In the Caribbean Sea, a pressure gradient is causing fresh to near-gale trades in the central region, with a tropical wave expected to bring showers and thunderstorms over the weekend. In the Atlantic Ocean, a stationary front near Bermuda results in fresh to strong winds and moderate to rough seas, with improvements expected as high pressure builds over the area. A broad trough east of the Bahamas is actively supporting scattered showers and thunderstorms across the forecast waters through the coming days.
September 17, 2026, at 1:15 AM EDTThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2025.
Named Storms: 8 to 14
Hurricanes: 3 to 6
Major Hurricanes (Category 3 or higher): 1 to 3
Accumulate Cyclone Energy (ACE): 95% to 180% of the median
Primary Influencing Factor: Developing El Niño conditions expected to suppress Atlantic storm activity
This forecast indicates:
Despite the lower forecast, NOAA emphasizes that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to create a major disaster, and residents in hurricane-prone areas should still prepare as usual for the season.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30Key: Active Past Future
*Press/click the storm name to view additional detailsDespite fewer total storms than forecasted, the 2025 season produced several extremely intense hurricanes, including three Category 5 systems, making it one of the more powerful Atlantic seasons in recent history.
2020 - 30 named storms, 14 hurricanes
Hurricane Katrina (2005) - $125 billion
Harvey (2017) - $125 billion
Hurricane Patricia (2015) - 215 mph (345 km/h)
Hurricane Allen (1980) - 190 mph (305 km/h)
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating system that classifies hurricanes based on their sustained wind speeds and the potential damage they can cause. It helps communicate the intensity of hurricanes and the likely impacts on structures and environments. The scale does not account for factors like storm surge or rainfall, focusing only on wind speeds.
Watching the Tropics was originally built as a personal storm tracker with only the most important charts for the Atlantic hurricane basin. Numerous sites are available for tracking hurricanes, but Watching the Tropics minimizes extra "noise" and shows only what you need.
Designed in Florida by
"Watching the tropics" refers to monitoring tropical weather systems, such as tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes, in regions close to the equator. Meteorologists and weather enthusiasts often use this phrase during hurricane season to indicate that they're keeping an eye on developing weather systems that could potentially strengthen and impact areas like the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.
Websites, news outlets, or weather services also use "Tropics Watch" to keep the public informed about the latest developments in the tropics, especially during peak hurricane season.
An "invest" refers to an area of disturbed weather that meteorologists are investigating for potential tropical development. The term "invest" is short for "investigation area."
When an area is designated as an invest, it is given a number (between 90 and 99) followed by the letter "L" for systems in the North Atlantic or "E" for systems in the Eastern Pacific. For example, "Invest 91L" would refer to the 91st area of interest in the Atlantic basin for that season.
The designation of an invest allows meteorologists to focus their resources on a specific area, utilize specialized forecasting models, and issue updates as needed.
A tropical depression is a type of tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of less than 39 mph (34 knots or 63 km/h).
Key characteristics:
It's the first stage of development in the tropical cyclone classification used by the National Hurricane Center, followed by tropical storm and then hurricane.
