Aug. 11 (UPI) — After weeks of quiet in the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Fred formed late Tuesday night in the Caribbean near Haiti and the Dominican Republic and its projected track has it possibly reaching Florida by this weekend.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. EDT advisory that Fred, the sixth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic season, was carrying maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was located 115 miles southeast of Santo Domingo. It was moving northwest at 16 mph.
Forecasters said northern Haiti and the southwestern Bahamas could start to experience tropical storm conditions late Wednesday.
“Heavy rainfall could lead to flash, urban and small stream flooding, along with possible rapid river rises.” the NHC said in its advisory, adding that a potential for mudslides could develop across the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The NHC said the risk and wind and rainfall events could affect the Bahamas and Cuba later in the week and somewhere in Florida on Friday.
Tropical Storm Fred is forecast to arrive somewhere in Florida as soon as Friday, forecasters said Wednesday. Photo courtesy NHC/NOAA
“There is a risk of wind and rainfall impacts in Florida beginning Friday in the Keys and spreading northward through portions of the Peninsula and the Panhandle this weekend,” the NHC noted. “However, it is too soon to determine the exact timing, location and magnitude of any potential impacts.”
AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said Fred, however, is not likely to gain hurricane strength.
“Following additional organization and strengthening as a tropical storm through Tuesday night, interaction with the Greater Antilles is likely to cause some [loss of wind intensity] from Wednesday to Thursday and perhaps into Friday as well,” Kottlowski said.
“Wind shear near and over the Gulf of Mexico could mitigate strengthening and possibly cap the storm’s intensity while it’s over the Gulf of Mexico.”
Fred follows five other named storms in the Atlantic basin so far this year — Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny and Elsa. Of those five, Elsa was the only one to gain hurricane strength.