By Ray Rivera and Patrick Phillips | September 8, 2020 at 8:53 AM EDT - Updated September 9 at 4:13 AM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Days away from the official peak of hurricane season, forecasters are watching four systems across the Atlantic, two of which have become the latest named storms.
The closest system to the coast of South Carolina is about 450 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
According to the late Tuesday night update, gradual development is possible during the next two or three days, and could become a tropical depression while it continues to move slowly west-northwestward toward the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina.
“It may not even develop,” Live 5 Chief Meteorologist Bill Walsh said late Tuesday night. “It’s very disorganized right now.”
Walsh said if we see any impacts it would be in the form of increased rain chances and possible breezy conditions. The National Hurricane Center has formation chances at 30 percent for the next 48 hours, and a 40 percent chance of development through the next five days.
Meanwhile, a stalled front closer to our coast will combine with tropical moisture creating a cloudier and wetter stretch of weather for the next couple of days.
“The rain chance will continue to increase today and tomorrow with unsettled weather possible at times through week’s end,” Walsh said.
Tropical Storm Paulette
Tropical Storm Paulette is a little weaker Tuesday night after battling some shear tonight.
The forecast continues to show a northwest movement and fluctuations with strength are likely.
As of Tuesday night, Paulette is about 1,400 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with 60 mph winds and moving northwest at 9 mph.
“Little change in strength is forecast tomorrow, with slow weakening anticipated on Thursday and Friday,” NHC officials said.
Tropical Depression Rene
Tropical Storm Rene weakened to a depression Tuesday night.
As of Tuesday night, Rene is about 360 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with 35 mph winds and moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
Meteorologists say gradual strengthening is forecast, and Rene is expected to regain tropical storm strength later Wednesday morning, and become a hurricane in a couple of days.
Tropical wave over Africa
The fourth area of concern is a tropical wave forecast to emerge off the west coast of Africa by Thursday. Gradual development is expected once the system moves over water, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this week or over the weekend while the system moves generally westward across the eastern tropical Atlantic.
The remaining storm names in the 2020 list are Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. If those remaining names end up being used, and forecasters expect that to happen, letters of the Greek alphabet would then be used as storm names. The only time that happened in the past is during the 2005 hurricane season.
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