Tuesday night tropical update: Peter, Rose and soon to be Sam in the Atlantic

Two tropical storms were named this weekend, bringing the number of named storms this season to an above-average 17. Neither of the new storms is a threat to the Gulf of Mexico, and both are expected to stay mainly over open water.

Tropical Storm Peter will curve north over the Atlantic this week and will stay just northeast of the Caribbean islands as it makes its northward turn on Monday. It should drop to a depression or remnant low by this weekend as it approaches Bermuda.

Tropical Storm Rose formed Sunday afternoon not far from Africa's coast. It is expected to continue north early and not even reach our side of the Atlantic. It should weaken later this week.

Rose brings us to 17 named storms this hurricane season. Six of those became hurricanes, and three of those were major hurricanes. The average numbers for an Atlantic season are 14 named storms and seven hurricanes of which three become major hurricanes.