BROOKHAVEN — The opening morning of bow season and squirrel season was perfect as the sunshine pierced through a light haze warming a cool morning. More beautiful weather is forecast for the rest of this week but residents should enjoy the nice weather while it lasts.

NWS Jackson forecasts sunny days with highs in the mid 80s and lows dropping to the 60s this week. Friday has the best chance of rainfall with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon. Saturday and Sunday both have 20 percent chances of rain for the area.

According to the National Hurricane Center, tropical activity continues to pick up after Hurricane Helene dumped a deluge of rain on Appalachia washing away streets, homes, bridges and parts of I-40 late last week. Helene’s death toll is estimated to be around 90 people and could continue to climb.

It appears another tropical storm could form again in the southwest Caribbean Sea. National Hurricane Center in Miami forecasts an ongoing tropical disturbance has a 40 percent chance of tropical cyclone formation in the next 7 days and a 10 percent chance of formation in the next 48 hours.

“Environmental conditions could become conducive for gradual development,” the National Hurricane Center states. “A tropical depression could form in a few days while the system is over the southern Gulf of Mexico or northwestern Caribbean Sea.”

The good news is the timeliness of development of a tropical cyclone has shifted towards late this week or perhaps over the weekend.

An 11th named storm of the 2024 Hurricane Season has already formed today. Tropical Storm Kirk continues to strengthen in the Atlantic off of the coast of Africa with wind speeds now reaching 70 mph. Kirk is not currently forecast to make landfall and is shown curving into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. To the east of Kirk, a second tropical disturbance has an 90 percent chance of producing a tropical cyclone in the next seven days and an 8o percent chance in the next 48 hours.

Former Hurricane Isaac died in the north atlantic and is no longer a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Joyce also ran out of energy dying in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Leslie, Milton and Nadine will be the next three names for storms according to the NHC name list for the 2024 season.

Check back for more updates as tropical systems develop. The Daily Leader will continue to provide updates on storms.