Cristobal Weakens to Tropical Depression as El Niño Keeps 80% Atlantic Threat in Check
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 12
Cristobal Weakens to Tropical Depression as El Niño Keeps 80% Atlantic Threat in Check
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 12
Summary
Cristobal, the Atlantic season’s third named storm, has already weakened from a 45 mph tropical storm to a tropical depression and is expected to dissipate over the open north Atlantic by Thursday afternoon.
El Niño-driven wind shear is tearing at storms across the basin, helping make this the Atlantic’s least active season start since 2009 through Aug. 11.
An area in the tropical Atlantic still carries an 80% chance of becoming at least a tropical depression late this week, while a second area to its east has a 50% chance.
That higher-risk system could briefly organize on Thursday before stronger shear near the eastern Caribbean cuts its odds on Friday; the next named storm would be Dolly.
NOAA last week raised the odds of a below-average season to 75% and cut its major-hurricane outlook to 0-2, underscoring expectations for a muted 2026 season.