Hurricane center tracking 2 Atlantic systems with chance to develop

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Oct 21, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Wednesday continued to keep an eye on a system off the U.S. East Coast with the potential to develop into a more dangerous storm as well as beginning to track a second Atlantic system.

As of the NHC’s 2 p.m. Eastern time tropical outlook, a storm-force, nontropical area of low pressure, dubbed AL93, which had formed Sunday night, was located a few hundred miles off the mid-Atlantic United States coast had acquired somesubtropical characteristics since Tuesday including organized thunderstorms and some less defined frontal features near its center.

“This system has the potential to become a subtropical storm tonight or early Thursday as it accelerates to the northeast before upper-level winds and water temperatures become unfavorable for further development on Friday,” forecasters said.

Its proximity to the coast, though, means high winds, dangerous surf and coastal flooding are possible over the next few days along portions of the U.S. East Coast.

The NHC gave it a 50% chance to develop in the next seven days.

The second system is a trough of low pressure located several hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda in the subtropical central Atlantic producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Some development of this system is possible during the next day or two while it moves slowly north-northeastward,” forecasters said. “Upper-level winds are forecast to become too strong for further development by the weekend.”

The NHC gave it a 10% chance to develop in the next two to seven days.

So far, the 2026 hurricane season has produced nine named storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna and Isaias.

The next name on the list is Josephine.

Only Isaias has reached hurricane strength during what has been a very slow Atlantic season amid effects from a strong global El Niño weather pattern. Isaias made landfall on Oct. 9 near Destin on Florida’s Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, but the height of hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in August had updated its seasonal forecast to expect between seven and 13 named storms this year. Of those, two to six would become hurricanes.

An average year would see 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three of those growing to Category 3 strength or higher.

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