Tropical Storm Otto Forms, No Threat for Florida

The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season may end with a bang. Tropical Storm Otto officially formed in the Caribbean Sea Monday afternoon with a prediction that it may reach hurricane status over the next few days.

The storm, the 15th named of the season, poses no anticipated threat for the United States. It was located about 175 miles east southeast of San Andres Island as of the National Hurricane Center’s 1 p.m. Tropical Weather Outlook report. The system was holding a stationary position at that time, but was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

Otto is expected to strengthen more over the next few days and may reach hurricane strength, the hurricane center said. Otto’s tropical storm force winds were extended outward up to 35 miles from its center Monday afternoon.

When Otto starts moving, the system is expected to head in a westerly direction. That movement may bring the storm onshore between Costa Rica and Nicaragua by sometime later in the week, forecasters project.

The system’s appearance on the scene comes at the end of the traditional hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 each year. The season peaks between mid-August and mid-October. Hurricane Matthew, which wreaked havoc on Florida’s east coast in early October, formed during the traditional peak.

Late-season hurricanes are rare but not unheard of. Hurricane Ida in 2009 initially formed on Nov. 4 and peaked as a Category 2 storm, according to The Weather Channel. Lenny, which formed in 1999, is considered the strongest late-season storm to form in the Atlantic. That Category 4 monster was especially unusual because it took a west to east path through the Caribbean Sea. The storm crashed into the Lesser Antilles on Nov. 17, 1999 while packing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

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

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 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.

Graphics courtesy of the National Hurricane Center