Tropical Storm Humberto developed into a named storm with top wind speeds around 40mph on Wednesday, becoming the eighth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
The storm is gaining organization and now moving west-northwest in the Atlantic Ocean some 700 miles northeast of Puerto Rico. Its direction is forecast to continue for several days.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm has a "favorable environment" to strengthen thanks to warm sea surface temperatures and moist air aloft. A period of wind shear may keep the storm from gaining strength over the next few days, but the NHC forecasts the storm will reach hurricane strength around Saturday evening.
Potential effects on the U.S. or on south Atlantic islands are not known at this time.
RELATED STORY | Peak hurricane season has been quiet — here’s why that may change
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has been relatively quiet, despite warm sea surface temperatures that can provide fuel for intense storms.
Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist for the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, told Scripps News Group in Fort Myers that strong upper-level winds have kept storms at bay.
But those wind shear patterns are forecast to lessen in late September and early October, which may make conditions more favorable for developing storms.
Even as Humberto progresses, the NHC is monitoring a second area of potential development closer to Puerto Rico that has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next week.
