A strong tropical wave will approach the Northeast Caribbean on Thursday and pass across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Thursday night and Friday.
The wave and its disturbed weather have been threatening to develop into a tropical cyclone over the past week but have had difficulty forming due to high-level westerly winds.
The wave and its low-pressure center should bring an increase in cloudiness, showers and thundershowers and possible gusty winds to the local region.
On Wednesday afternoon the wave and its associated low-pressure center was located near 17.5 degrees north latitude, 55 degrees west longitude or about 650 miles east of the Virgin Islands, according to meteorologist Alan Archer. He noted that conditions are slowly becoming favorable for development of the system into a tropical depression or tropical storm.
"Weather conditions should begin to deteriorate in the next 24-36 hours across the local islands," Archer said.
An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft investigated the broad area of low pressure and found a disorganized system with no well-defined circulation. "Therefore, the system will not be upgraded to a tropical depression at this time," said hurricane forecaster James Franklin.
He said another aircraft is scheduled to investigate disturbed weather area Thursday morning.
Franklin encouraged those in the northern Leeward Islands to continue to monitor the progress of this weather system.
Elsewhere in the tropical Atlantic, Archer noted a wave has just emerged off the west coast of Africa, another is bringing showers and thundershowers to Central America and yet another wave is in the Western Caribbean near Hispaniola.
The latest Virgin Islands weather forecast can be viewed by clicking on the rainbow icon at the top of the Source menu.
