Rainstorm in the Atlantic on the Way to the Northeastern Caribbean
Christy Bowen
YesterdayThe northeastern Caribbean is being put on alert for the potential of a tropical weather event next week. Where is the storm coming from and what areas are in its path? We have all of the details right here.
Growing Tropical Rainstorm in the Atlantic Necessitates Monitoring
A developing tropical rainstorm could intensify into a hurricane in the days ahead, eventually impacting the northeastern corner of the Caribbean by the middle of the week. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) continues to monitor the Atlantic and the Gulf for other areas of development.
The NHC has signaled that the latest tropical rainstorm spinning in the eastern Atlantic could find its way into a hurricane before moving into the warm waters of the Caribbean next week. The development is coming in the middle of what has been a historically quiet stretch of weather for the Atlantic basin.
As of early Friday, the tropical rainstorm was churning about one-third of the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Now known as Invest 91L, the disturbance is moving to the west away from the Cabo Verde Islands and closer to the Lesser Antilles.
Vast pockets of dry and dusty air have been working with wind shear to limit this rainstorm's development. However, the latest forecast models indicate that conditions will become more favorable to development by the weekend. In addition to residents of the islands of the northeast Caribbean, shipping, fishing, and cruise ship interests should also continue to monitor this situation.
The Leeward Islands will likely be the first part of the Caribbean to experience the impacts of this storm. Conditions are predicted to deteriorate by the middle of next week with the expectation that heavy rain, high winds, and rough seas will batter the region. Should this feature take on tropical characteristics, it will go by the name of Gabrielle.
The intensification of the winds will largely determine where the storm tracks as it moves through the basin. The latest models signal that winds ranging between 80 and 100 mph will whip around the northeastern islands of the Caribbean. Widespread rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are predicted at this time.
The severity of the elements will raise the risk of property damage and power outages. There is also growing concern about the threat of flash flooding and mudslides.