Tropical Storm Humberto forms, and another one could be on the way

By JUDSON JONES

Tropical Storm Humberto formed earlier this week in the Atlantic, the eighth named storm of the season.

Forecasters say they have a “lower-than-normal” confidence in where the storm, which formed Wednesday afternoon, will go and how intense it will become because they are watching another potential storm nearby that may form soon.

With the storm currently spinning harmlessly out at sea, no warning or watches had been issued as of Thursday afternoon. That could change in the coming days if the storm gets closer to land.

A complicated forecast — including a cluster of thunderstorms near Puerto Rico that could form into Tropical Storm Imelda — was making it difficult for forecasters to understand where Humberto and the potential Imelda would go.

The Atlantic hurricane season got off to a slow start. But forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have said they expect it to be an above-average season, with up to 18 total named storms by the time it ends in November. (A typical season has 14 named storms.)

The Trump administration has slashed the number of employees at many of the agencies traditionally responsible for planning for and responding to natural disasters, including NOAA, the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is unclear how those cuts might affect the accuracy of forecasts.