Before a hurricane earns a name and threatens land, it often begins as something smaller and lesser-known: a tropical wave. What exactly is a tropical wave and why does it matter? Tropical waves are clusters of showers and thunderstorms that are the seedlings of many of the storms that develop throughout the Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Fernand is continuing to weaken in the Atlantic, and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predict the storm is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone Tuesday night or early Wednesday before then dissipating on Thursday.