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A tropical wave forecast to leave the Coast of Africa Thursday shows promise of development, with its current trajectory aiming at the Caribbean archipelago.
"Gradual development is expected once the system moves over water, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this week or over the weekend while the system moves generally westward across the eastern tropical Atlantic," said the National Hurricane Center in its 2:00 a.m. Wednesday forecast.
Governor Albert Bryan said the system is projected to affect the U.S. Virgin Islands in some form or another between Wednesday and Friday next week. "Remember get prepared now, save your sandbags from the distribution we had and make sure you're ready for the storm," the governor said during his Covid-19 response update Tuesday.
According to N.H.C., the system's chance of development in the next 48 hours remains low at 30 percent, but the five-day projection increases to 80 percent.
There are two other systems in the Atlantic, Paulette and Rene, the former being a tropical storm and the latter a tropical depression. However, both systems are headed north and are not expected to affect land.
N.H.C. recently issued a message urging preparedness. "Preparedness is everything when you start thinking about the hurricane season," said Ken Graham, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. "So think about those hazards that stretch well outside that center, well outside the cone."
Mr. Graham said historically water has killed the most people in tropical systems. "So storm surge and that rainfall inland, that's what we got to protect ourselves from."
He added, "Don't forget it's also about the wind and it's also about those tornadoes so knowing your risks, having a plan to mitigate those risks, that's how we stay together in Hurricane Season 2020."
