If the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season ended today, it would go down as about "average" in terms of named storms and hurricanes. There have been 11 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. According to climatology though, the season is only about half over. While millions of Floridians continue the clean up from Major Hurricane Irma, our attention is still drawn to a very busy Atlantic Ocean.
Following the footsteps of Irma, a storm named Jose spurred a large amount of unwarranted social media attention this week. Jose was once a powerful Category 4 hurricane aimed right at the same Caribbean islands devastated by Irma. Thankfully, it had other plans and decided to go on a more northerly route. Although Florida is not directly threatened by Jose, large ocean swells and large waves are likely to reach the Atlantic Coast of the peninsula over the weekend. The risk of rip currents will also remain high from the unsettled waters.
Two other systems are being actively monitored by the National Hurricane Center in the central and east Atlantic for possible trouble in the coming days. Newly formed Tropical Depression Fourteen is not expected to be a significant threat to any land areas, but a tropical wave in front of it might be a concern in the Caribbean about a week from now. The system, referred to by forecast models as Invest 96, has a "high chance" of developing in the next five days, and may approach the Lesser Antilles in about a week. Two reliable forecast models also hint as some sort of low pressure system moving in this general direction and poised to move further west or northwest. While it's too early to even hint at where it may go next, the location and time of year alone are cause for concern to anyone with interests in the Caribbean, Mexico, The Bahamas, or the United States.