By Faith Eherts,  From AccuWeather

While the Gulf Coast continues to deal with the devastating impacts of Harvey, emergency managers in the United States have another tropical threat to monitor by the name of Irma.

Far across the Atlantic, just west of the Cabo Verde Islands, an area of thunderstorms has developed enough circulation to gather tropical storm status and the name, Irma.

“There is the potential to ramp up to a powerful hurricane in the coming days,” according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

Irma will take about a week for the system to make its trek westward across the Atlantic Ocean. Meteorologists will likely be tracking this storm through the middle of September.

“All interests in the eastern Caribbean will need to monitor the progress of this evolving tropical cyclone, especially next week,” Kottlowski said.

“It is way too soon to say with certainty where and if this system will impact the U.S.”

During this time, plenty of atmospheric factors will come into play to determine its path.

Possibilities range from a landfall on the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean to the Carolinas and the island nation of Bermuda – and everything in between.

“Steering winds will guide Irma close to the Leeward Islands and then perhaps Puerto Rico and Hispaniola around the middle of next week,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson.

Conditions are favorable for tropical development throughout the central Atlantic, heightening the threat of significant strengthening as this system approaches the U.S.

IMAGES:

This animation shows newly-formed Irma spinning over the south-central Atlantic and moving west of the Cabo Verde Islands on Wednesday morning, Aug. 30, 2017. (NOAA/satellite)

For more on this story and video go to: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tropical-threat-to-track-across-atlantic-this-week-will-it-affect-the-us/70002598