This is the birthplace of 85% of all major hurricanes, including Erin

"They are the hurricanes of legend, the bowling balls that cross the entire Atlantic Ocean, menaced ships of yore and make the long, curved lines on the hurricane charts.Cape Verde storms, named for the group of islands about 450 miles (725 kilometers) off the west coast of Africa, typically form from clusters of thunderstorms that move off the continent and into the Atlantic."

"With thousands of miles of ocean water above the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) temperature needed to fuel hurricanes, Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America. About 85% of all major hurricanes - Category 3 and higher - start out there, according to the National Hurricane Center."They are the media stars and certainly get a lot of attention because you can track them for a long time," said Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections."

Cape Verde storms originate from clusters of thunderstorms that move off West Africa near the Cape Verde islands roughly 450 miles offshore. Warm ocean waters above about 80°F (27°C), light winds, and favorable atmospheric conditions in August and September allow some systems to intensify and travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic. These storms frequently become powerful; about 85% of major (Category 3+) Atlantic hurricanes begin in that region. Fewer than one in ten of these storms strike the United States, as many decay or are steered away by prevailing north and east winds. Forecast confidence declines beyond a week, and crossing the Atlantic typically takes at least ten days, complicating long-range predictions. Observations include Hurricane Erin and additional clusters east of it being monitored for development.

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