Two tropical systems perform rare dance in Atlantic sparing U.S. coast

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A rare weather phenomenon in the Atlantic is keeping two tropical systems from threatening the United States.

Hurricane Humberto, a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 145 mph, is weakening while nearby Tropical Storm Imelda strengthens near the Bahamas.

Normally, Imelda’s position would suggest a potential U.S. landfall, but the two storms are engaging in the Fujiwara effect, a counterclockwise rotation around a common center.

Humberto will pull Imelda to the east and then off they go. This is an incredibly lucky outcome for the southeastern U.S. because if Imelda hadn’t made this easterly turn, we would likely have seen a landfalling hurricane.

Imelda is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it moves east into the open Atlantic later this week. Humberto will weaken but is forecast to remain a hurricane through Thursday. Tropical storm watches are in effect for Bermuda.

While the U.S. escaped a major threat from the Atlantic systems, forecasters are monitoring lingering moisture near Florida.

Forecast models suggest a tropical feature could form in the northern Gulf of Mexico later this week, possibly bringing increased rain to the northern Gulf Coast. Warm Gulf waters add to the potential, even though no immediate threats to the U.S. coastline are present.

So far, the 2025 season has produced nine named storms and three major hurricanes, keeping pace with climatological averages.

Forecasters caution that more than a month remains in hurricane season, with October often active in the Gulf and Caribbean.

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