HOLT, Fla., Aug. 17, 2023—Tropical activity continues to pick up in the Atlantic as the season enters its peak.

Starting from east to west, the African wave west of the Cabo Verde Islands, now designated Invest 98, has become a little better organized today, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A favorable environment could allow for additional development and a tropical depression is likely to form during the weekend before conditions become unfavorable early next week.

Invest 98 has a high 70 percent chance of development through the next seven days.

Invest 99, located to the south-southwest of Invest 98, is a mess of disorganized showers and thunderstorms within an elongated trough of low pressure.

Conditions appear only marginally favorable for further development, according to the NHC; however, a tropical depression could still form during the next several days while it moves west-northwest.

Formation chance is medium at 50 percent.

Two new areas showed up today, one in the Atlantic and one forecast to move into the Gulf of Mexico.

The one in the Atlantic is another area of low pressure that could form in a day or so on the tail end of Invest 99, according to the NHC.

Some slow development is possible during the weekend as it crosses into the northeastern Caribbean Sea.

Formation chances are low at 20 percent.

The last area identified by the NHC is located just north of Hispaniola. This system is forecast to move into the Gulf by early next week where a broad area of low pressure could form.

Some slow development of this system is possible as it moves westward and approaches the western Gulf coastline by the middle of next week, according to the NHC.

Formation chances are low at 30 percent.

So far this season, there have been five tropical systems: One unnamed storm in January, three tropical storms in June and a category 1 storm—Hurricane Don—in July. The next named system will be called Emily.

National Hurricane Center forecasts