'We need to watch the Gulf'
How many named storms are in an average hurricane season?
NOAA predicting 13-19 named storms for 2025 hurricane season
When is hurricane season?

'We need to watch the Gulf', How many named storms are in an average hurricane season?, NOAA predicting 13-19 named storms for 2025 hurricane season, When is hurricane season?

With the official start to the 2025 hurricane season just days away, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are tracking two tropical waves in the Atlantic basin as of May 27.

One wave is in the central Atlantic and the other is in the Caribbean. Neither is expected to develop into a named storm, which is typical: While 100 or so tropical waves form in the Atlantic each year, only an average of 14 named storms develop each year, according to the hurricane center.

A satellite image from Tuesday May 27, 2025, shows the entire Atlantic basin. Forecasters were watching two tropical waves on May 27, one in the Atlantic and the other in the Caribbean.

A tropical wave is a system of low pressure that moves westward across the tropics. Waves can lead to the formation of tropical cyclones, under the right conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Hurricane Center said other than the two tropical waves, there are no tropical disturbances in the Atlantic basin and no tropical cyclone activity is expected during the next seven days.

'We need to watch the Gulf'

Of potentially more concern comes from computer models, some of which show a potential disturbance in the Gulf of America, formerly known as Gulf of Mexico, in early June. "We need to watch the Gulf in 10 days, or so, as a weakness in the subtropical ridge finally allows a tropical disturbance to lift north," said meteorologist Ryan Maue of WeatherTrader.com on X on Tuesday. "The Gulf is now plenty warm for a tropical storm."

The first named storm of the 2025 season will be Andrea.

Another meteorologist, Andy Hazelton of the University of Miami, said on X Tuesday, "Most likely, it'll just be a strung out mess, but either way lots of tropical moisture will come north and hopefully help alleviate some of the still-ongoing drought in Florida."