Tropical Storm Gordon forms in Atlantic but poses no threat to U.S.

The Atlantic hurricane season continues to show activity, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) tracking multiple systems. While Tropical Storm Gordon moves through the Atlantic, meteorologists have confirmed it poses no threat to the United States. Meanwhile, closer to the U.S. Coast, a disorganized system designated as Invest 91L is drawing focus for its potential to bring heavy rainfall to the Southeast.

Tropical Storm Gordon and Atlantic Monitoring

At 11 a.m. AM AST, the center of Tropical Storm Gordon was located near latitude 19.4 North, longitude 38.6 West. Gordon is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph and the storm is expected to move more to the west this weekend and Monday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph, with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center. This will not bother anyone, except maybe shipping, noted Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane forecaster at AccuWeather. Slight strengthening is expected today before a weakening trend begins on Saturday.

Related imagery

Forecasters were tracking an eastern Atlantic tropical wave is along 30W, south of 19N, moving west near 17 mph. A central Atlantic tropical wave is along 53W, south of 17N, moving westward at 22 mph. Invest 94L, east of the Leeward Islands: Surface observations indicate a small area of low pressure is located over the northern Leeward Islands. The system continues to produce showers and thunderstorms this morning, but they have not become any better organized.

Gulf System: Invest 91L

The National Hurricane Center designated a broad surface low in the Gulf of America as Invest 91L. As of Saturday afternoon, July 18, the system remained west of the Florida coast, moving northwest at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of 25 mph. While the system is currently disorganized, the chance of Invest 91-L strengthening has increased to 40 percent. If this system becomes a tropical storm, its name will be Bertha.

Meteorologists emphasize that the primary impact of this system, regardless of its official classification, will be heavy rainfall. The Tampa Bay area is expected to see 6-8 inches of rain over the next seven days, with the heaviest rainfall arriving Sunday. Interests along the Florida west coast, the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southwestern Georgia should monitor the progress of this system as it is expected to bring heavy rain to portions of that region during the next several days.

Expert Analysis and Outlook

Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, observed that while wind shear is currently low in the eastern Gulf, it is likely to ramp up again Tuesday, which should slam our blob’s window for tropical organization shut. Similarly, DaSilva noted that mid-level moisture is limited and upper-level winds are marginal, so whether something organizes or not the primary impact will be enhanced rain chances in Florida and the coastal Southeast.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. Per an order from President Trump. Beginning in 2026, systems in which development is not expected (near 0% in both two- and seven-day forecast periods) will be depicted as a gray X.

Upcoming Observations

The term "invest" is short for investigation. It is used to identify areas that may possibly develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system on Sunday, if needed.

In the Pacific off the coast of California, Tropical Storm Elida is heading toward cooler water and is expected to weaken July 19, the NHC said. It is no threat to land and could become post-tropical by Monday.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.