Tropical cyclone outbreak off East Coast sparks hurricane fears as Dexter forms
Dexter, previously designated as AL95, developed Saturday along a frontal boundary about 150 miles off the coast of North Carolina.
As of Monday morning, the tropical storm was located several hundred miles northwest of Bermuda and is moving east-northeast at around 12 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph.
While the system appears to be drifting away from the US, meteorologists at The Weather Channel warned that high surf and dangerous rip currents could still impact the East Coast over the next several days.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is also tracking two other systems in the Atlantic. One is a tropical wave that recently moved off the west coast of Africa and the other, more concerning in the short term, is a disturbance positioned dangerously close to northeastern Florida.
Although neither system poses an immediate threat to land, forecasters said conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for development.
Experts are particularly watching the tropical wave near Africa, which is expected to organize into a tropical depression or storm by late this week as it moves across the central Atlantic.
Jonathan Belles, meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said: 'Dexter was first designated a tropical storm late Sunday night, after an area of low pressure first formed along a stalled frontal boundary off the Southeast coast between North Carolina's Outer Banks and Bermuda.
'It then sprouted enough persistent thunderstorms and separated from the front to become the fourth tropical storm of the season.
'It's not uncommon for tropical systems to develop this way.'
Tropical Storm Dexter is expected to gain strength over the next couple of days, but will likely lose its tropical characteristics by Wednesday.
Dexter formed nearly two weeks ahead of schedule, beating the average date for the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is typically August 15.
On average, the first hurricane of the season does not appear until August 11, making Dexter's early arrival a sign that the season may be ramping up faster than usual.
Dexter is the fourth named storm of 2025 in the Atlantic.
Forecasters are also keeping an eye on a tropical wave expected to move off the west coast of Africa in the next day or two.
As it travels west-northwest across the central Atlantic, it could slowly develop.
A tropical depression may form later in the week, according to the NHC, which gave the system a 50 percent chance of development over the next seven days as of Monday morning.
The next name on the 2025 Atlantic storm list is Erin.
Closer to the US, another disturbance off the East Coast could develop later this week.
Forecasters expect an area of low pressure to form a few hundred miles southeast of the Carolinas, where gradual strengthening is possible.
This system has a 30 percent chance of forming into a tropical depression or storm within the next week.
The system is forecasted to drift to the west or northwest, which means those along the Georgia and Carolina coasts will need to keep an eye on it.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in May that the Atlantic could see an 'above average' hurricane season.
Overall, NOAA has predicted up to 19 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
'A steep increase in tropical activity has historically occurred over the next 4-6 weeks across the Atlantic basin,' Belles said.
'Tropical development can occur anywhere from the Gulf and Southeast coasts to the Central Atlantic and even off the coast of Canada.
'This is because water temperatures are near their annual peak, Saharan air has typically mixed out, wind shear is decreasing and instability across the basin is high. These are all favorable conditions for tropical formation.'
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