A new depression in the Atlantic could become Tropical Storm Josephine this week
A tropical depression traveling west through the Atlantic could strengthen into Tropical Storm Josephine by the early morning hours Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The depression is about 1,135 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and is traveling west with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and higher gusts, according to the hurricane center’s advisory at 11 p.m. Wednesday.
The system is then expected to begin moving west-northwest later Wednesday, according to forecasters. By Friday, winds could reach 60 mph before weakening again.
Forecasters still say the “struggling depression” will form into a tropical storm sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday. The forecast shows the storm moving north of the Leeward Islands Saturday and passing well to the north of Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Tropical storm conditions may be possible near the Northern Leeward Islands this weekend, said Lissette Gonzalez, meteorologist with Miami Herald news partner CBS4. The hurricane center advised that area to pay close attention to the track of the storm.
Wednesday 5AM Forecast "Threat cone" Tropical Depression #11 expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm #Josephine later today. Moving West now & WNW by tonight. Tropical Storm conditions near the N. Leeward Islands possibly this weekend. Wind shear may weaken it then @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/ImauWYlXTr
— Lissette Gonzalez (@LissetteCBS4) August 12, 2020
The National Hurricane Center says the storm isn’t facing too much dry air for the next few days, which could slow it down, but there’s some wind shear eating away at the western edge of the storm. Forecasters say this could cause it to weaken to a depression again as soon as Monday.
“...The cyclone is forecast to encounter moderate to strong southwesterly shear associated with a deep-layer trough stretching over the southwestern Atlantic,” forecasters wrote. “This change in the upper wind pattern should induce steady weakening.”
Just last week, NOAA updated its 2020 hurricane season predictions. Instead of the 13 to 19 named storms it predicted earlier in the year, the agency said it now expects 19 to 25 named storms, the most it has ever predicted.
The record-breaking 2005 hurricane season saw 27 named storms, including Katrina, Rita and Wilma, which exceeded the alphabetical list of storm names and forced scientists to name new storms after letters in the Greek alphabet.
