Moss: The tropics are active, but not a major concern at this point

The devastation from Hurricane Florence will continue for months and, for some, years in North Carolina. With peak hurricane season lasting through late October, many are wondering what is next for the tropics.

According to WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss, the tropics are currently active, but there is no threat to land at this time.

Forecasters are watching three systems in the Atlantic -- Kirk, Leslie and a disturbance off the southeastern coast of the U.S.

Kirk, with 35 mph maximum winds, is currently a tropical depression but is likely to strengthen in the next two days as it moves west, according to Moss.

Leslie, featuring maximum winds of 45 mph, is a subtropical storm that is expected to turn toward the southeast and then move east at a slow pace.

Lastly, a disturbance off the coast of North Carolina has about a 40 percent chance of developing into a tropical or subtropical storm.

"The disturbance is likely to encounter shear that will keep if from being very strong as it moves up along the Carolina coast later Tuesday into Tuesday night," said Moss. "So far, winds near the coast are expected to be rather light, reaching about 10 to 20 mph on the Outer Banks with some gusts to near 30 mph. The system is expected to produce scattered showers and storms, mainly for central and northern coastal areas, with rainfall amounts averaging about .25 to .75 inches there."

Good news: NOAA predicts less active Atlantic hurricane season

In August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, would have 9 to 13 named storms. Of those, 4 to 7 were predicted to become hurricanes, no more than 2 were predicted to become major hurricanes, such as Florence, which are classified as Category 3, 4 or 5.