As of Aug. 12, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has been a quiet one, but now we have our third tropical storm of the season.
Invest 93L strengthened into Tropical Storm Cristobal east of Bermuda at 11 a.m. Aug. 12, joining tropical storms Arthur and Bertha on the 2026 list.
Along with Cristobal, the National Hurricane Center is tracking another disturbance in the Atlantic with potential for development this week. Designated as Invest 92L, it’s expected to become a tropical depression within the next day or two as it moves west across the Atlantic. A tropical wave behind it is not expected to develop in the next 48 hours but could later on, forecasters said.
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Tropical Storm Cristobal is predicted to be short-lived as it wanders into the cooler waters of the central Atlantic well east of Bermuda.
Florida residents are keeping a close eye on Invest 92L, which is heading west across the Atlantic toward the Lesser Antilles and is expected to become a tropical depression in the next day or two.
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Invest 92L spaghetti models. See expected path
Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Invest 92L expected to become tropical depression soon
At 8 a.m. Aug. 12, the National Hurricane Center said Invest 92L is likely to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days.
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What impact could Invest 92L have on Florida?
“The area we are most concerned about impacts at this point is the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico,” said Nick Arman, AccuWeather forecasting operations meteorologist, via email Aug. 12.
“As this tropical wave approaches the northern Lesser Antilles later this week into this weekend, it will begin to encounter more wind shear, which should help to limit strengthening.
“The stronger the wave becomes, the more likely it is to move north and away from the Lesser Antilles. If this happens, the storm will likely move north into the open Atlantic and not impact the U.S. (or Florida).
“If the wave stays weaker, there is the chance it could move a little closer to the Southeast coast, however it would have to get through a wall of wind shear which would likely substantially disrupt the storm. If this would approach the U.S. it wouldn’t be until mid to late next week, so we have plenty of time to watch it.”
What will be next named storms in Atlantic basin?
Cristobal and Dolly are the next two names for the Atlantic basin, which covers the Atlantic, Gulf of America and Caribbean.
How strong are winds for a tropical depression?
A tropical depression has maximum sustained surface winds — based on a one-minute average — of 38 mph or less, according to the National Weather Service.
How strong are winds for a tropical storm?
A tropical storm has maximum sustained surface winds ranging from 39-73 mph.
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Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: See latest spaghetti models for Invest 92L. Florida impacts?
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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By Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
