Tropical Storm Matthew Forms in the Caribbean - Will Likely Impact U.S.

Updated: September 23, 2010 4:50 pm ET

Tropical Storm Matthew, which formed in the Caribbean on Thursday, will likely impact the U.S. The good news: we have approximately a week to watch the system form, analyze the direction in which it will move, and pinpoint the area which it will likely impact.

Caribbean infrared satellite
Click image to animate and enlarge

“So far this hurricane season, most of the storms have either developed in the Atlantic and been deflected to the east of the United States or have formed in the western Caribbean or southwest Gulf and been shoved to the west into Mexico," says TWC Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro (Find him on Facebook).

In the past three weeks, five hurricanes form in the Atlantic. Most of those made a curve into open water before impacting the U.S. But the recent development shows the environment is favorable for tropical cyclone development.

2010 hurricane season tracks-to-date

Right now, long-range model runs have the system moving towards the U.S. Coast within the next week.