As the East Coast continues to recover from Hurricane Debby, a new potential tropical storm, Potential Tropical Cyclone Five, is developing in the Atlantic Ocean. This storm is rapidly gaining strength and is expected to be named Ernesto by the end of Monday. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 30 mph, and it would need to reach 39 mph to be classified as a tropical storm. If it reaches sustained winds of 74 mph or greater, it could become the third hurricane of the season.
A tropical storm watch has been issued for several Caribbean islands, warning of possible damaging winds, high surf, and heavy rainfall. The storm is expected to reach these islands by early Tuesday afternoon before potentially moving towards the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico by early Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring the storm’s development and has projected a track that takes the storm into the Caribbean region before turning northward into the Atlantic, away from the mainland United States. This formation aligns with NOAA’s outlook for an above-normal hurricane season, with a 90% chance of more storms than usual. Colorado State University’s hurricane forecast also predicts an increased likelihood of major hurricane landfalls due to warm sea surface temperatures providing ideal conditions for storm development.
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