Atlantic and Pacific: Here's what we're watching for tropical development
While the Atlantic is finally seeing its third named storm this hurricane season, chances are growing in the Pacific for an impactful storm to set its sights on Hawaii.
It's been a quiet season so far for tropical activity, especially over the Atlantic Ocean, where we've only had two named storms...until now.
Now, after almost a month since the Atlantic's last names tropical storm, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) are monitoring the development of Tropical Storm Cristobal.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of North America, two disturbances are forming over the Pacific Ocean, one of which has a 90 per cent chance of developing into a tropical system with Hawaii directly in its path.
Tropical Storm Cristobal forms Wednesday
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and goes until Nov. 30., with experts at Colorado State University predicting a below-average season.
We saw the first named storm of the season pretty early on June 10 with Tropical Storm Arthur. A little over a month later of July 17 we got Tropical Storm Bertha.
Tropical Storm Cristobal developed on Wednesday morning and is forecast to remain at tropical storm strength until Thursday before reaching cooler waters and dissipating.
The storm's short path will take it northeast into the Atlantic, so it will pose no threat to any populated regions.
South of Cristobal, however, are two new tropical disturbances the NHC is monitoring, one of which is currently forecast to become a short-lived tropical storm.
This has officially been the slowest start to the Atlantic hurricane season since 2019, but not as slow as the 2014 season, when we didn't see the third named storm until Aug. 23.
Pacific disturbances set sights on Hawaii
Forecasters at the NHC are currently looking at a 90 per cent chance of a high-end tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane developing in the coming days.
With Hawaii in the current path of the system, this would be only the third named storm to make direct landfall over the island state. The only two other instances were in September 2018 with Hurricane Olivia and July 2020 with Hurricane Douglas.
Just because so few storms have made direct landfall, though, doesn't mean the islands aren't strangers to tropical systems. Two storms in 2024, Gilma and Hone, indirectly impacted Hawaii by bringing heavy rains, as well as strong winds and rip currents.
More recently, in 2025, Tropical Storm Kiko passed north of Hawaii, bringing high swells.
Just northeast of this disturbance is a second disturbance that has also caught the NHC's attention, which has a 60 per cent chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next few days.