Tracking the Tropics: Potential Tropical Cyclone Five expected to become tropical storm soon

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- As we wrap up the first month of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on Potential Tropical Cyclone Five, which is expected to form in the coming days.

The NHC had been monitoring the system, and one other, that emerged off the coast of Africa this week as tropical waves. They started issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Five Wednesday evening.

As of the 5 p.m. advisory, the system is about 1,195 miles east of the Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It's moving to the northwest and is forecast to pass near or over parts of the Windward Island or southern Leeward Islands by Friday. It's then expected to move into the Caribbean Sea and move near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday.

The NHC says environmental conditions seem "generally favorable" for development and the disturbance could become a tropical storm Wednesday night or Thursday.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Barbados and Martinique. Forecasters say rainfall totals will be between 3 to 6 inches with maximum totals of 8 inches.

The second area being monitored by the NHC is a tropical wave just east of the Lesser Antilles producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. While the NHC says significant development of the system is unlikely, it still could bring heavy rainfall to parts of the Lesser Antilles in the next few days.

The second system has been given a low near zero percent chance of formation both in the next 48 hours and the next five days.

The next storm to develop and get a name will be Elsa.

So far this year, we've seen four named storms: Ana, Bill, Claudette and Danny. Danny was the most recent - a short-lived tropical storm that made landfall along the coast of South Carolina before dissipating over Georgia.

from WAVY.com https://ift.tt/3hditbr