Tropical Storm Don Could Form Soon: Forecasters

TAMPA, FL — As the National Hurricane Center continues to monitor a broad area of low pressure in the Atlantic Ocean, its forecasters say the system is showing strong potential for development over the next day or so. While the storm had not become any better organized since Monday, weather service forecasters on Tuesday said conditions remained ripe for tropical cyclone formation.

Located about 800 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, the storm had broken from the stationary position it held on Monday. It expected to move west or west-northwest at an estimated 10 to 15 mph over the next few days.

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“Environmental conditions are still favorable for a tropical cyclone to form within the next day or two,” the service warned in Tuesday’s Tropical Weather Outlook report.

Should the system develop enough to earn a name it will be called Don, the fourth named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters have given the storm a 70 percent chance of developing over the next 48 hours. Those chances rise to 80 percent over the next five days. Forecasters at The Weather Channel say development into a tropical depression or even a storm is likely sometime between late Tuesday and Wednesday.

Although it’s still way too early to tell what, if any, impact the system might have on Florida or any part of the U.S. coastline, it does serve as a strong reminder of the need to be prepared as hurricane season continues. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-average number of named storms this year. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 each year.

Residents readying for the ongoing season can get tips and advice on the federal government’s Ready.gov website. Folks in the Tampa Bay area can also check out this related story: Hurricane Season 2017: What Tampa Bay Area Residents Need To Know.

Graphic courtesy of the National Hurricane Center