Two tropical waves being monitored in Atlantic

Two tropical waves are being monitored over the Atlantic Ocean as forecasters watch for potential tropical development this week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday that a broad area of showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave was located several hundred kilometres west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

The system is expected to move westward across the central tropical Atlantic, with some gradual development possible during the early to middle part of the week.

Upper-level winds are expected to become less favourable for development later in the week as the system approaches the Lesser Antilles.

The National Hurricane Center puts the chance of tropical cyclone formation at near zero per cent over the next 48 hours, increasing to 20 per cent over the next seven days.

A second tropical wave is also expected to emerge from the west coast of Africa early this week.

Environmental conditions are expected to be more favourable for that system to gradually strengthen, and forecasters say a tropical depression could form during the latter half of the week as it moves generally westward across the eastern and central Atlantic.

The second system has a near-zero per cent chance of development over the next 48 hours, but that increases to 40 per cent over the next seven days.

Both systems remain well out over the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center will continue to monitor both disturbances as they move westward.