Mostly Quiet Across the Atlantic to End the Week
Invest 94L in the far north-central Atlantic struggles against harsh wind shear for now
Despite a North Atlantic teeming with the warmest waters observed for the time of year by a wide margin, the atmosphere has largely shut down the tropics for the time being.
After a June hiatus of hostile wind shear and dry, Saharan dust – giving us a surprising flurry of deep tropical activity – the tropical climate has returned to its normally scheduled July programming. Both wind shear and the dusty Saharan air layer are back to more typical levels this month and will keep the Atlantic characteristically quiet for the foreseeable future.
We continue to monitor an area of low pressure in the middle of the north-central Atlantic – Invest 94L. While intermittent thunderstorms are firing near the low pressure center, stinging northwesterly wind shear continues to quickly cleave away any storminess. Although the wind shear is expected to relax by the weekend, it could be too little, too late as it hangs a hard left over cooler waters. If 94L does eke out a name, it would be Don. Regardless of development, the system poses no threat to land.