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

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.

Humberto became a tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon (Picture: Metro)

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 is turning into major hurricane that may merge with second storm threatening millions in the US (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.

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.

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