Tropical Storm Fay
Tropical Storm Fay, located at 33.1 North latitude and 32.2 West longitude, is gradually weakening. It is currently about 445 miles southwest of the Azores, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and moving south-southwest at 3 mph. The storm is expected to gradually turn southwest and west in the coming days and may weaken into a post-tropical remnant low by late Tuesday. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, and no land hazards are reported at this time.
Tropical Storm Fay is intensifying in the Atlantic as it churns towards the southeastern coast of the United States, with projections indicating a possible upgrade to hurricane status. According to the latest updates from meteorologists, Fay's trajectory has prompted preparations along the East Coast, with residents advised to brace for high winds and significant rainfall. The National Hurricane Center has been actively releasing advisories on the storm's progression, emphasizing the importance of staying informed as conditions can change rapidly. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Odalys has formed off Mexico's coast and is similarly gaining strength, potentially becoming a hurricane within days.
In addition to Fay and Odalys, meteorologists are closely monitoring Invest 99L and Tropical Depression 6, both situated in the Atlantic. These weather systems have shown potential for development, with Invest 99L expected to evolve into a tropical storm soon. The National Hurricane Center is continuing to issue updates and spaghetti models, providing crucial data on potential storm paths and intensification. With several active weather systems, the tropical Atlantic remains a focal point for forecasting efforts, as communities prepare for possible impacts.
September 21, 2026, at 2:15 PM EDT
A middle and upper-level trough over the NW Caribbean, combined with warm sea surface temperatures and a potential Central American Gyre, may lead to heavy rainfall across portions of Central America, including Costa Rica, Panama, southern Guatemala, far western Honduras, and far northern El Salvador from September 22nd through 25th. This poses risks of flash flooding and landslides.
In the eastern Atlantic, a tropical wave near 30-31W is moving westward with no significant activity. Another wave in the central Atlantic shows scattered moderate convection. The Gulf of America experiences light winds, slight seas, and scattered showers influenced by an upper low and multiple surface troughs.
The Caribbean Sea is affected by numerous strong storms due to interactions between the East Pacific monsoon trough and an upper-level trough. Moderate to fresh winds continue east of 80W, and scattered showers prevail along the continental coasts.
Tropical Storm Fay is located southwest of the Azores, with modest sustained wind speeds. In the Atlantic Ocean, weak pressure gradients generally maintain gentle trades, while showers and thunderstorms are driven by various atmospheric interactions, including upper troughs and tropical waves.
The 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.
