A powerful Hurricane Humberto and a developing tropical rainstorm could bring impacts to the US East Coast and Bahamas as soon as next week, with a rare ‘Fujiwhara Effect’ also a possibility.
The Atlantic hurricane season is showing signs of a dramatic turn as two tropical systems have formed and are being closely monitored for their potential to impact the Southeast United States. While Tropical Storm Humberto is forecast to become a major hurricane, a second tropical rainstorm moving toward the Bahamas poses a more direct and potentially greater threat to the U.S. mainland.
According to AccuWeather, Tropical Storm Humberto is expected to intensify into a powerful major hurricane over the weekend or early next week as it tracks between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast. While it is not currently expected to make a direct U.S. landfall, its sheer size and power will generate rough surf and dangerous rip currents that will impact the Bahamas and much of the U.S. East Coast starting as early as Sunday.
“Humberto is slowly gaining wind intensity as it battles some disruptive wind shear,” said AccuWeather® Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. “As the shear eases and the storm moves northwest, Humberto is forecast to intensify into a major hurricane over the weekend or early next week.”
However, AccuWeather experts are raising the alarm about a separate tropical rainstorm, which has a high risk of developing into a tropical storm or even a hurricane.
This system, located near Hispaniola and moving toward the Bahamas, could bring rain and wind impacts to the Southeast U.S. as early as Monday. The next name on the list for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is Imelda, which this storm could soon be named.
The forecast for these two systems is complex due to their close proximity. DaSilva outlined several potential scenarios for the tropical rainstorm. In one scenario, it could strengthen on its own and track northward toward the East Coast, bringing flooding rainfall and gusty winds, particularly to the Carolinas and Virginia.
In a less likely scenario, a weaker version of the rainstorm could be absorbed by the stronger Hurricane Humberto, limiting its direct impact on the U.S. mainland.
A rare meteorological phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect is also being considered. This occurs when two storms in close proximity begin to rotate around a common center point. While uncommon in the Atlantic, this interaction could significantly alter the track and intensity of both storms.
Regardless of how these two systems interact, AccuWeather experts warn that “very rough surf and dangerous rip currents are expected across the Bahamas and U.S. East Coast starting Sunday.”
With the potential for multiple storms and a high degree of uncertainty in the forecast, people and businesses across the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the southeastern United States are urged to closely monitor the latest AccuWeather forecast updates in the coming days.
The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast has been adjusted to predict 13-16 named storms and six to nine hurricanes, but the forecast for three to six direct U.S. impacts remains unchanged.
READ: Florida Residents Urged To Monitor Invest 94L As Forecasts Rapidly Evolve
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