9.30am, 1 September
A tropical wave just off the west coast of Africa has a 40% chance of becoming a cyclone over the next week, weather experts have predicted.
According to an 8am forecast from the National Hurricane Center, the system is currently producing disorganised showers and thunderstorms.
“Environmental conditions appear conducive for slow development of this system, and a tropical depression could form later this week or next weekend,” it said.
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The wave is expected to move west-northwestward at about 15 miles per hour across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic throughout the week.
In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast increased storm risk this Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from from June to November.
It predicted between 13 and 19 named cyclones with winds of 39 miles per hour or higher, with six to 10 forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher.
Of those, the agency was expecting three to five to be major hurricanes, of category three, four or five, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Information on how to prepare for a hurricane is available from the US National Weather Service here.
Visit the US National Hurricane Center for the latest updates on this and other weather disturbances at nhc.noaa.gov