Houston is halfway through hurricane season but not over the hump yet

The next eight weeks are considered the “season within the season,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More intense storms are likely to flare up due to the unique mixture of low winds, moisture and dogged heat – increasingly so as the global climate changes. 

For Houston and beyond, that means we have to pay extra attention to the tropics this time of year.

Surely, you already keep abreast with the NHC’s daily tropical findings, right? If you’ve lost the bookmark, here’s the link to see all of the active disturbances being monitored. 

That currently includes three areas of low pressure throughout the Atlantic Ocean, appearing right on time. 

Particularly, meteorologists are tracking a disturbance in the Caribbean Sea that’s anticipated to form into a tropical depression in the southern Gulf of Mexico by Sunday. It currently has a 70 percent chance of doing so. 

Where it goes after Sunday is yet to be determined. Space City Weather’s Eric Berger says current models have no consensus on whether it will stay in the southern Gulf or move north. 

Two other disturbances further in the Atlantic Ocean pose no immediate threat to land. 

Now is as good of time as ever to make sure you’re prepared for a storm. The hurricane center has a thorough checklist and supply kit suggestions on its website. 

What’s the must-have item in your Houston hurricane survival kit? Let me know on Twitter: @jayrjordan