SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) – The Atlantic tropical season was abuzz with activity last week as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a severe Category 4 storm.

However, our attention turns back to the western Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico, where tropical development is possible.

The National Hurricane Center highlighted a region of potential tropical development over the western Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico during the first week of October.

Long range models continue to trend as the overall environment becomes more favorable for the development of a tropical system.

A tropical wave is expected to spread across the Caribbean over the weekend and interact with a wide area of ​​low pressure around Central America. This broad area of ​​low pressure is sometimes referred to as the Central American Gyre. There may be persistent showers, thunderstorms and generally unsettled weather. This can sometimes lead to a tropical development – as was the case with Helene.

As always, before systems form, it is too early to speculate about how this might be organized, where it might lead, or who might see impacts. If there is an impact on the Gulf Coast, it wouldn’t be until next weekend.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the Eye of Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida at approximately 10:10 a.m. CDT, east of the mouth of the Aucilla River. This is located approximately 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida. Based on data from Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, the maximum sustained wind speed was estimated at 140 mph and the minimum central pressure at 938 mb.

Helene is the fourth hurricane to hit the US Gulf Coast this year alone. The year with the most hurricane landfalls is 1886, in which there were seven. There were six hurricane landfalls in the United States in 2020

Isaac is now a tropical storm in the North Atlantic. Isaac will move further east on open water.

Tropical Storm Joyce formed Friday morning. Joyce is expected to remain a tropical storm in the central tropical Atlantic. It poses no threat to the country.

Tropical Depression 12 developed in the eastern Atlantic and will likely become Tropical Storm Kirk this week. It remains at sea.

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