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Hurricane tracker map shows Humberto could merge with second storm and form mega system

Humberto map picture: Weather.com
Spaghetti models for tropical systems Imelda and Humberto show the two could combine (Picture: Weather.com)

Tropical Storm Humberto is on its way to becoming a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and that’s not the only threat – a second system could combine with it into a historic mega storm.

Humberto was named a tropical storm yesterday afternoon, and meteorologists today warned that a tropical wave off the coast of the southeastern US could develop into Tropical Storm Imelda by this weekend.

In one of two main computer forecast models, Imelda could stall off the southeast coast early next week and be absorbed by Humberto, according to The Weather Channel.

Tropical Storm Humberto was 480 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45mph and moved northwest at 10mph as of this morning.

METRO GRAPHICS Humberto Tracker 2509
Humberto became a tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon (Picture: Metro)
The dance between developing storms in the Atlantic could soon evolve into one of meteorology's most unusual and rare events: The Fujiwhara effect, which occurs when two storms interact with one another. As of the morning of Sept. 24, two tropical systems continue to meander in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Neither is a named storm yet, so they're dubbed "Invest 93L" and "Invest94L" by the National Hurricane Center. Both are highly likely to become tropical cyclones in the next week, the hurricane center said, but their exact paths and potential to impact the United States remain uncertain for now. When and if the storms reach tropical storm status, one will likely be named Humberto and the other Imelda. Many weather models show the potential for land impacts mainly from 94L (likely Imelda) but the track is dependent upon 93L (Humberto) with the ?Fujiwhara effect determining the outcome," said Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue in an Substack post Sept. 24. "The Fujiwhara effect is uncommon in the Atlantic but can occasionally happen," noted WPLG-TV hurricane specialist Michael Lowry in a Substack post Sept. 24. What is the Fujiwhara effect? When two storms or hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other, they begin an intense dance around their common center known as the Fujiwhara effect, the National Weather Service said. The effect is thought to occur when storms get about 900 miles apart. Storms involved in the Fujiwhara effect are rotating around one another as if they had locked arms and were square dancing. Rather than each storm spinning about the other, they are actually moving about a central point between them, as if both were tied to the same post and each swung around it separately of the other. A good way to picture this is to think of two ice skaters who skate quickly toward each other, nearly on a collision course, grab hands as they are about to pass and spin vigorously around in one big circle with their joined hands at the center. According to Weather.com, the stronger storm often dominates, tugging the weaker one into its circulation, but in rare cases, two storms of similar strength can combine, creating a single, more powerful storm.
The dance between developing storms in the Atlantic could soon evolve into one of meteorology’s most unusual and rare events: The Fujiwhara effect, which occurs when two storms interact with one another (Picture: NOAA)

Humberto is expected to travel on a curved path between the US East Coast and Bermuda and possibly reach Category 4 hurricane status.

‘We expect it to intensify into a hurricane this weekend,’ said AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva.

Humberto could bring rain and strong winds to Bermuda beginning Sunday night or Monday morning. It will create rip currents affecting the East Coast, Bermuda and the Bahamas this weekend that could continue into mid-next week.

Meanwhile, the tropical wave passing through Hispaniola today is dumping heavy rain and wind on the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Turks and Caicos and is projected to hit the Bahamas and eastern Cuba. As it nears the Bahamas this weekend, it could become Tropical Storm Imelda.

Humberto turning into major hurricane that may merge with second storm threatening millions in US
Humberto is turning into major hurricane that may merge with second storm threatening millions in the US (Picture: Tropical Tidbits)
Humberto turning into major hurricane that may merge with second storm threatening millions in US
An infrared satellite image of Tropical Storm Humberto in the Atlantic Ocean (Picture: Tropical Tidbits)

The Weather Channel’s two main computer forecast models have Imelda tracking northward past or near the Bahamas on Sunday.

One of the models has Imelda continuing north and striking Georgia or the Carolinas as a hurricane or tropical storm early next week.

The second model has Imelda stalling off the US southeast cost for a day or two and then turning eastward toward Bermuda and possibly merging with Humberto.

If Humberto and Imelda spin around each other next week, the very rare Fujiwhara Effect could happen.

Humberto turning into major hurricane that may merge with second storm threatening millions in US
A seven-day graphical tropical weather outlook showing storms Humberto and Gabrielle in the Atlantic (Picture: NOAA)
An atmospheric phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect could occur next week with both tropical systems spinning around each other. This very rare storm behavior is named after Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara, who first described the condition in a 1921 research paper.
An atmospheric phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect could occur next week with both tropical systems spinning around each other (Picture: AccuWeather)

‘The condition is similar to the teacup ride at an amusement park or ballroom dancers moving in unison,’ stated AccuWeather of the effect that was coined by Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara in a 1921 research paper.

Such a mega system could move toward the US coast, or stay offshore.

The Humberto and Imelda threats come as Gabrielle, the second hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, spared the US by spinning eastward and instead approaches Portugal’s Azores in a rare weather event.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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