What Are Weather Invests and How Do They Develop?

Weather invests are a type of low-pressure system that forms over the ocean, typically in the tropics. They can develop into tropical cyclones, which can bring heavy rain and strong winds to coastal areas.

Weather invests are created when a combination of atmospheric and oceanic conditions come together, including warm ocean water, moist air, and low pressure. This unique combination can lead to the development of a tropical cyclone.

Weather invests can form over any warm ocean water, but they are most common in areas with sea surface temperatures of at least 26.5°C (80°F). This warm water heats the air above it, causing it to rise and create an area of low pressure.

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A weather invest is a designated area of disturbed weather that's monitored for potential tropical cyclone development. These areas are given a number from 90 to 99, followed by a suffix indicating the basin where it's located.

There are three separate United States forecast centers that designate invests: the National Hurricane Center, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The National Hurricane Center oversees the North Atlantic and North Eastern Pacific basins, while the Central Pacific Hurricane Center monitors the North Central Pacific basin.

Invests are typically characterized by a cluster of thunderstorms, showers, or cloudiness that shows signs of organization, such as developing low-level circulation or increased convection. They're monitored because they have some potential for development into a tropical depression, tropical storm, or hurricane.

Here are the three United States forecast centers that designate invests, along with the basins they oversee:

The designation of a system as an invest does not necessarily correspond to any particular likelihood of development into a tropical cyclone.

Tropical storms and hurricanes are powerful weather systems that can bring heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surges. They form over warm ocean waters in the tropics.

These systems are classified based on their wind speed, with tropical storms having winds of 39-73 mph and hurricanes having winds of 74 mph or higher. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to measure the severity of a hurricane.

Tropical storms and hurricanes can cause significant damage and loss of life, especially in coastal areas.

Tropical depressions, storms, and hurricanes are all types of tropical cyclones, but they differ in intensity and characteristics.

A tropical depression is a rotating system of clouds and thunderstorms that forms over warm ocean waters, with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.

The National Hurricane Center defines a tropical depression as a rotating system of clouds and thunderstorms with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.

As a tropical depression strengthens, it becomes a tropical storm, which is characterized by sustained winds of 39-73 mph.

Tropical storms can bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and storm surges, which can cause significant damage and flooding.

The difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane is the speed of the sustained winds, with a hurricane having winds of 74 mph or higher.

Hurricanes are the most intense type of tropical cyclone, bringing catastrophic winds, storm surges, and heavy rainfall that can cause widespread destruction.

A tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea, dubbed Invest 97L, has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next couple of days.

The system is already producing showers and thunderstorms that are showing signs of organization over the south-central Caribbean Sea.

Interests in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba should monitor the progress of this system, as Tropical Storm Watches or Warnings could be required later today or tonight.

A tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form as the system moves northward, with gradual development expected in the days ahead.

The next name on the 2024 Atlantic list is Rafael, and if this Caribbean disturbance reaches tropical storm strength, it will be named Rafael.

Computer forecast models disagree on how strong Rafael will be when it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, with predictions ranging from a low-end tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane.

Flooding rain is possible over the Caribbean islands west of Puerto Rico, and the rich tropical moisture is forecast to spread from south to north over the Florida Peninsula starting Tuesday.

Once Rafael gets to the Gulf, the steering currents may weaken, meaning the system will move more slowly, and reasonable tracks for the end of the week range from west toward Mexico or Texas to north toward the Florida Panhandle.

Satellite imagery is focused on areas declared an invest, providing high-resolution images to help track the system.

Tropical floaters and high-resolution imagery are used to monitor areas declared an invest. This helps forecasters get a better understanding of the system's development.

Weather models are used to forecast the path and intensity of the invest. High-resolution guidance is ingested over the area to increase accuracy.

Weather observations from ships, buoys, and hurricane hunters are used to ingest into weather models. This helps improve the accuracy of the forecast.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) uses a designation called a potential tropical cyclone (PTC) to describe a weather system that has the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone. A PTC is upgraded to a tropical depression or tropical storm when it meets certain criteria.

Here are the steps involved in upgrading a PTC to a tropical depression:

Researchers have been working on a new type of weather satellite that can capture high-resolution images of severe weather events.

This satellite is expected to improve forecast accuracy and help meteorologists predict weather patterns more effectively.