Another storm is brewing in the Atlantic amid an “above average” hurricane season

A storm system in the Atlantic could potentially develop into a tropical depression as it moves toward the Caribbean later this week, the latest storm in an already “above average” hurricane season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The low pressure area is currently bringing “disorganized showers and thunderstorms” to the Central Atlantic, the hurricane center said in an update on Tuesday morning. The system, now called AL94, is expected to move west toward the Caribbean, where environmental conditions may allow development by mid- to late-week.

“A tropical depression could form as the system begins to move west-northwestward and approaches or approaches the Leeward Islands later this week,” the center said. The Leeward Islands include the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda.

A tropical depression is a storm with maximum sustained winds of 38 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. According to the hurricane center, there is a 60 percent chance that a low pressure area will form in the next seven days.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an “above average” hurricane season this year, with eight to 13 hurricanes and 17 to 25 named storms. Storms are given names when their wind speeds reach 38 mph or more.

The 2024 hurricane season has already produced nine hurricanes, including four major hurricanes, and 13 named storms, NBC Miami reported. Five hurricanes have hit the U.S., including Category 4 Helene and Category 3 Milton, which have left communities in the Southeast reeling.

There are about seven weeks left in the 2024 hurricane season.