Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Current Tropical Storm Humberto is forecast to take on major hurricane status in coming days. The storm, which formed Wednesday evening, is expected to strengthen into a category 3 hurricane by Monday.
The National Hurricane Centre reports Humberto is located east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and is expected to move generally west-northwestward into the western tropical Atlantic. By Saturday morning, Tropical Storm Humberto will become Hurricane Humberto, gradually gaining category 2 status before becoming a major hurricane early Monday.
During travels, Humberto could end up mixing with another tropical wave, Invest 94L, a phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect, when two nearby systems move around one another, often closing the distance between them.
This could lead to Humberto merging with Invest 94L and becoming an even stronger storm. While Humberto is not a threat to the U.S., Invest 94L is, at least on its current forecast track.
The second disturbance could take on a new track depending on how Humberto and Invest 94L interact in coming days. If the two systems combine, the forecast track could be altered. As of Thursday, Tropical Storm Humberto was reported moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h) with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph (75 km/h).
Once strengthened, Humberto will be the third hurricane to develop in the Atlantic this season. It will also be the third to have gained major hurricane status.
