Tropical Storm Sean formed in the Atlantic Ocean early Wednesday morning but is not expected to strengthen much more as it moves away from Africa, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Situated 725 miles west-southwest of Cabo Verde, the storm was producing sustained wind speeds of 40 mph and moving west-northwest at 13 mph, hurricane forecasters said Wednesday morning.
While Sean could intensify slightly during the next day or so, forecasters said a strong southerly shear is likely to hamper significant development, canceling out the strengthening effects of the storm's moist environment and leading to little net change in its strength.
It's too early to tell whether the storm could impact the Gulf of Mexico, but Wednesday's forecast showed Sean degenerating on Sunday before reaching land. The storm hasn't triggered weather alerts in any neighboring lands.
Forecasters started tracking Sean earlier this week as a disturbance near Africa.
Tropical wave near Africa
A tropical wave just off the coast of west Africa is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning.
Forecasters said some gradual development is possible in the next several days as the wave moves west across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. It has a 20% chance of forming in the next two days.
The busiest time of hurricane season
We've officially entered what is historically the most active period of the Atlantic hurricane season, so consider this your reminder to get prepared and stay vigilant.
In the last 100 years, the tropics have been the most active in August, September and October, with Sept. 10 being the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, according to federal forecasters. (graphic via NOAA)
In the last 100 years, the tropics have been busiest from mid-August through October, with Sept. 10 being the peak of the season, according to federal forecasters. About 80% of the systems that have hit the Gulf Coast formed during this time, according to the National Weather Service in Slidell.
The 2023 hurricane season
The return of El Niño was initially expected to bring a wetter second half of the year to Louisiana and a reduced risk of hurricanes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Climate Prediction Center announced March 9 that La Niña, which usually causes more hurricanes to form in the Atlantic, was officially over after an unusually long three years.
El Niño and its sister La Niña are part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle, a set of conditions over the Pacific Ocean that affects weather patterns across the world. In Louisiana, the biggest effects involve hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.
Regardless, this year's first cyclone hit in January, long before the official start of hurricane season, and June alone saw three named storms. Now forecasters are predicting that 2023 will prove to be an above-average hurricane season, with 18 named storms.
The first tropical storm to form in the Atlantic this year was named Arlene, reaching wind speeds of 40 mph on June 2 as it headed for Cuba. Don was the first storm to reach hurricane status in 2023, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 mph on July 22 before rapidly weakening to a tropical storm the following day.
The next storm to form will be named Tammy. Here's the full list of this year's storm names.
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