Tropical Storm Cristobal formed in the far North Atlantic on Wednesday, becoming the third named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
Cristobal is forecast to be a short-lived system, similar to Tropical Storms Arthur and Bertha earlier this season, as it moves across the open Atlantic well northeast of Bermuda.
The tropical storm will not pose a threat to any landmasses as it heads in the general direction of the Azores and Europe.
Cristobal is forecast to move over cooler waters while encountering dry air and strong northerly wind shear, which will lead to rapid weakening over the next 72 hours.
At last check, the tropical storm was at peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph and a minimum central pressure near 1,008 millibars.
While Cristobal remains over the northern Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center is also monitoring two other areas in the deep tropics.
What else is being tracked?
NHC forecasters are also monitoring two tropical waves in the central and eastern Atlantic.
The first of the two disturbances is known as Invest 92L and is located around 1,000 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
The NHC has given the disturbance an 80% chance of developing, but recent runs of forecast models have become less supportive of development.
Hostile upper-level winds and dry air are expected to limit the system's ability to organize as it moves across the Atlantic and towards the eastern Caribbean.
While Invest 92L has seen its long-term prospects begin to fade, another tropical wave farther east has been gaining some support from forecast models.
The tropical wave is located just off the western coast of Africa and is expected to move westward across the Atlantic over the next week.
Environmental conditions are expected to gradually become more conducive for tropical development.
Development chances remained low Wednesday, but the NHC could increase those odds in the coming days if shower and thunderstorm activity become more organized.
If either of the two systems becomes a tropical storm, the next name on the 2026 season list is Dolly.
Despite the uptick in activity, Florida and the rest of the Lower 48 are expected to remain in the clear from any tropical threats through at least the next week.
