Tropical Storm Gaston Forms; Disturbance Eyes Florida

TAMPA BAY, FL — Tropical Storm Gaston has officially formed in the Atlantic Ocean as forecasters continue to track Tropical Depression Fiona and an unnamed storm. As of Tuesday morning, only one of the three appear to have the potential to brush the Sunshine State.

As of Tuesday morning, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Gaston was located about 474 nautical miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Moving west-northwest at 20 mph, Gaston has a projected path that will take it east of Bermuda by sometime on Sunday. Forecasters anticipate the storm will become a hurricane by early Wednesday.

Tropical Depression Fiona was located about 456 nautical miles north of the Leeward Islands Tuesday morning. This storm is holding steady with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Moving west-northwest at 13 mph, Fiona is anticipated to weaken over the weekend as it heads on a general path toward the Eastern Seaboard.

See also: Atlantic Hurricane Season 2016: Peak is Now

While Fiona and Gaston are anticipated to blow right by Florida, the third storm being tracked by the hurricane center bears close monitoring for residents in the Sunshine State. Currently located a few hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands, this tropical wave has been given a 60 percent chance of developing further over the next five days. Forecasters say it is possible conditions will become more conducive for development later this week as the system moves closer to Hispaniola and the Bahamas.

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter craft is expected to investigate this disturbance sometime Tuesday morning. Should the storm develop enough to earn a name, it will be called Hermine, the eighth named storm of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Regardless of the disturbance’s further development, the hurricane center is warning people who live in the northeastern Caribbean Sea to the Bahamas of the potential for “gusty winds, heavy rains and possible flash floods and mudslides” over the next few days.

While it’s still too early to tell for certain if the disturbance will impact Florida, it and the two named storms currently in the Atlantic serve as strong reminders for folks to be prepared as hurricane season continues. The season runs through Nov. 30.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Disturbance map courtesy of the National Hurricane Center/ Hurricane image via the National Weather Service