As tropical depressions Ida and Kate continue to weaken on Tuesday (August 31), meteorologists at the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) are watching a quickly organising low-pressure system just off the coast of West Africa.

The NHC, in an 11:00 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) advisory, said the weather disturbance was located a couple of hundred miles west-southwest of the coast of Guinea and that a tropical depression is likely to form within the next 24 hours.

“Associated showers and thunderstorms continue to show signs of organisation, and environmental conditions are conducive for additional development of this system,” the hurricane watchdog explained.

While the system continues a west to west-northwest movement over the tropical Atlantic at 24 kilometres/hour, its formation chances are listed as ‘high’ at 90 per cent through the next two to five days.

Weather sleuths also noted the presence of another broad area of low-pressure southwestern Caribbean Sea, which it expects to potentially develop.

“Some slow development of this system is possible by the end of the week, if the system remains over water. This system is expected to move gradually west-northwestward or northwestward at [16 kilometres/hour] toward Central America,” the NHC advised, adding that further intensification chances are ‘low’ at 20 per cent through the next five days.

The next two available names on the 2021 North Atlantic Hurricane list are Larry and Mindy.

After making landfall as a powerful category four hurricane, Ida has weakened to a tropical depression. The NHC said little change in strength is expected over the next couple of days.