Double Atlantic storms near East Coast as two disturbances threaten in coming days

Two tropical disturbances in the Atlantic have a high likelihood of becoming named storms next week, raising the possibility of two tropical cyclones approaching the U.S. East Coast in a relatively short window.

Invest 93L, located in the central Atlantic about 1,000 miles from the Lesser Antilles, has about a 90 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within days. Forecasters say its possible paths include a track toward the Carolinas by week’s end, though a more northerly or easterly path remains plausible depending on steering currents. Separate from 93L, another disturbance labeled 94L has started near Puerto Rico and also carries roughly a 90 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone. The forecast cone for 94L initially suggested a potential motion toward Florida and then up the mid-Atlantic, but forecasters cautioned that subtle changes in winds aloft could shift that track.

The two systems are forming only days apart, raising the possibility that they could reach land within days of each other if their paths converge toward the United States. Double Atlantic storms hitting the U.S. mainland in close succession are rare; many storms that form near the East Coast tend to recurve out to sea or merge with other systems before making landfall.

Hurricane Gabrielle has intensified into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the central Atlantic. While Gabrielle is not expected to strike the U.S. coastline, its presence has boosted dangerous rip currents and coastal hazards along the East Coast and could complicate weather patterns for the developing storms. Forecasters urged beachgoers and surfers to heed local advisories as conditions remain hazardous along the coastline.

The potential for two storms near the U.S. East Coast comes as the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season continues at a notably quiet pace. Gabrielle’s emergence marked just the seventh named storm of the season, and only Tropical Storm Chantal had made landfall in the United States so far. Hurricane Erin, a Category 5 storm earlier in the season, was the only other system to reach hurricane strength before Gabrielle. The long stretch without named storms ended abruptly as Gabrielle formed after 19 days without a named storm following Tropical Storm Fernand—the longest such gap since 1992.

Meteorologists emphasized that both Invest 93L and Invest 94L must maintain organized circulation and warm, moist air over the ocean to sustain intensification. Forecast models commonly diverge in the first few days of development, and small shifts in weather patterns—such as wind shear or the position of a subtropical high—can alter whether the storms threaten land and which coastline would bear the brunt. If both systems survive into next week, they could become tropical depressions, then tropical storms, and potentially hurricanes with sustained winds exceeding 75 mph.

Forecasters also noted that the eventual track will depend on the Atlantic's steering currents. Some runs show 93L taking a path that keeps it away from the United States, similar to Gabrielle’s, while other scenarios bring it closer to the Carolinas or mid-Atlantic states. The same range of outcomes exists for 94L, given the shifting atmospheric patterns that guide storm motion at those latitudes. As a result, residents along the East Coast—from the Carolinas to New England—should stay tuned to official advisories as the week progresses.

As the season moves through its peak in September and October, experts expect variability in storm development. Forecasters cautioned that even storms with high formation probabilities can fail to organize into named storms if conditions in the upper atmosphere become unfavorable. They stressed that the current information reflects probabilities, not certainties, and that the situation could evolve rapidly over the next several days.