Is Tropical Storm Rina imminent? Hurricane forecasters monitoring area for development

A system in the central Atlantic Ocean has a high potential to become a tropical depression over the next two days, the National Hurricane Center said.

Located about halfway between the west coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, the collection of showers and thunderstorms are showing signs of organization, the agency said Wednesday morning.

Environmental conditions are ripe for development, according to the National Hurricane Center, and either a tropical depression or a tropical storm is likely to form in the next day or so. The agency put the probability of that level of formation at 90%.

If the system maintains maximum wind speeds of at least 39 mph, it will be called Tropical Storm Rina

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe is taking aim at Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The system is likely to reach the islands as a tropical depression, the National Weather Service said.

Federal forecasters in early August raised their predictions of the number of named storms and hurricanes expected to develop in the Atlantic Ocean, citing record-warm ocean temperatures that are providing fuel for systems to strengthen.

The increase in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projections mirror changes made by other lead forecasting groups, including AccuWeather and Colorado State University.

Typically, 14 named storms form in the Atlantic Ocean annually, according to long-term averages. This year’s total of 17 named storms, including a subtropical storm that formed in January, called “unnamed,” is likely to continue to climb.

Hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30, though additional storms can develop later in the year.