Tropical Storm Matthew Holds Steady With 60 MPH Winds

TAMPA, FL — The 13th named storm of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season has officially formed in the Caribbean Sea. Tropical Storm Matthew was located about 65 miles west of St. Lucia as of Wednesday evening.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, Tropical Storm Matthew was moving west at 18 mph as of the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. Sept. 28 update. Tropical storm warnings and watches had been issued for several Caribbean islands, including St. Lucia, Aruba, Barbados and Curacao.

Forecasters say Matthew’s tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. Strong winds are primarily focused to the northeast of the storm’s center.

On its current projected path, Matthew is expected to continue west over the next few days. The storm is expected to reach hurricane status by sometime on Friday. A turn to the north, toward Jamaica and Cuba, is expected at some point on Sunday with the storm anticipated to be south of Cuba on Monday.

On its present path, Matthew could play a role in Florida weather by mid-week next week. Just how much, if any, impact the storm will have on Florida and the Tampa Bay area, however, remains to been seen.

Tropical Storm Matthew’s formation comes at the peak of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Forecasters at the hurricane center say the eight-week period that begins in mid-August and runs through mid-October is a “season within the season.” This eight-week period “is often the most active and dangerous time for tropical cyclone activity,” NOAA explained on its website.

The eight-week period is historically responsible for major spikes in tropical weather activity, NOAA said. In fact, it accounts for about 78 percent of all tropical storm days on record. It is also the period when 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days on record occurred. In addition, this period is responsible for “a whopping 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days.”

Tampa Bay hasn’t been struck by a hurricane in more than 90 years. Even so, it’s had some close calls this year. Most recently, Hurricane Hermine left flooding woes in her wake as she passed by on her way to the Panhandle. Experts say the region's lucky streak isn’t likely to last. It’s not a question of if, but when, forecasters say.

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’s Peak is Now
• 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.

Graphic courtesy of NOAA