Hurricane forecasters are monitoring multiple systems in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 4, including one which developed into a tropical storm overnight and is expected to move away from the United States.
A low pressure system, dubbed as AL95, developed into Tropical Storm Dexter over the western Atlantic late on Aug. 3, the hurricane center said. Dexter is releasing maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and the tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from its center.
The storm is forecast to move away from the U.S. coast and stay north of Bermuda. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect and no hazards to land are expected.
The system formed along a frontal boundary about 150 miles off the coast of North Carolina on Aug. 2.
As of 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 4, the storm was located a few hundred miles northwest of Bermuda and appeared to be moving away from the U.S., according to the hurricane center. The storm is moving about 12 mph and is expected to pick up speed before it starts slowing down on Aug. 5 and 6.
“Some slight strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days,” the hurricane center said. “Dexter is likely to become post-tropical by Wednesday.”
The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, had a quiet start in 2025 with June and July showing minimal activity. But forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say the tropics are heating up this week with three disturbances, including Tropical Storm Dexter and two other systems that have “some development potential” later in the week.
Forecasters were tracking two other storms on Aug. 3, including a tropical wave expected to move off the west coast of Africa on Aug. 4 and another disturbance off the coast of the southeastern United States. Both were moving west and did not pose a threat at the time.
The uptick in activity comes after Tropical Storm Gil briefly became a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 1, before weakening again into a tropical storm, according to the hurricane center.
More: August brings ominous hurricane season news. Is another Helene on the way?
Forecasters previously predicted ‘above-normal’ hurricane activity for 2025
In May, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters predicted “above-normal” hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin for the 2025 season.
The agency forecasted between 13 and 19 named storms with winds 39 mph or higher. Of those storms, six to 10 are predicted to become hurricanes with winds 74 mph or higher, including the potential of three to five major hurricanes.
“As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities,” Laura Grimm, chief of staff for the NOAA, said in a statement.
Atlantic storm map
Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Dexter forms in the Atlantic. Will it make landfall?
