Tropical Storm Sally departs drenched Florida; season's 20th tropical depression forms

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tropical Storm Sally was passing over South Florida and heading on Saturday night for the Gulf Coast, where a hurricane watch went into effect from Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border.

Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday. At 8 p.m. Saturday, the tropical storm was moving westward at about 8 mph. A turn to the west/northwest was expected Saturday evening. The National Hurricane Center warned that “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds (are) possible along portions of the northern Gulf Coast early next week.”

The center predicted continued rain for parts of Florida through Sunday. The storm was expected to drop 2 to 4 inches over southern Florida and the Keys through Saturday night. Rainfall of 2 to 6 inches is expected along the west coast of Florida through Sunday.

Sally’s center was forecast to move over the southeastern and eastern Gulf of Mexico Saturday night and Sunday, and then travel over the north-central Gulf of Mexico Sunday night and Monday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph.

Sally is one of six storms being monitored by the hurricane center. Tropical Storm Paulette became a hurricane on Saturday and was expected to bring hazardous conditions to Bermuda on Sunday night and into Monday.

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, a hurricane warning was in effect for Bermuda as Paulette was moving toward the northwest at about 15 mph. A turn toward the north with a decrease in speed is forecast on Monday, followed by a move to the northeast Monday night and Tuesday. The center of Paulette is expected to move near or over Bermuda Monday morning. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts.

“Hazardous conditions that could make outside preparations difficult or dangerous are expected to reach Bermuda by Sunday evening,” the hurricane center reported.

Three to 6 inches of rain are expected. The center said Paulette will be “a dangerous hurricane” when it gets close to Bermuda Sunday night and Monday.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the hurricane center warned.

The 8 p.m. advisory from the hurricane center said a new depression, the 20th of the season, over the central Atlantic Ocean was expected to become Tropical Storm Teddy by Sunday night. It was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph and is expected to increase in speed in the coming days.

This is the time of year when storms tend to form in the open Atlantic, particularly near the Cabo Verde Islands. These storms, which grow in size and intensity as they make the long trek westward across the Atlantic Ocean, are historically the most powerful and destructive hurricanes.

Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.

Laura was the season’s first major hurricane, making landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 on Aug. 27. Hanna, Isaias and Marco were Category 1 hurricanes that made landfall in Padre Island, Texas; Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina; and at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Paulette, Rene and Sally set records for earliest “P”, “R” and “S” storms in any Atlantic hurricane season, breaking the record held by Philippe, Rita and Stanback in 2005, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.

Klotzbach said that with Paulette, Sally and the depression each forecast to reach hurricane strength by Sept. 15, the Atlantic would have eight hurricanes by that early date. Only 3 years on record have had eight Atlantic hurricanes by Sept. 15: 1893, 2005, 2012.

The remaining monikers for named storms this season in the Atlantic are: Vicky and Wilfred. Any storms after Wilfred would be named after letters in the Greek alphabet. That has only happened once — in the 2005 hurricane season, according to The Weather Channel.

The tropical weather experts at Colorado State University predicted that 2020 could possibly be the second-busiest season on record, behind only 2005, the year that produced Katrina and Wilma. In August, the federal government issued an updated forecast for the season, predicting as many as 25 storms, which is more than the agency has ever forecast.

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