New Disturbance With Chance Of Becoming Tropical Storm Churns In The Atlantic

Just as Gert, now a category 1 hurricane, moves away from affecting land and heads north between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda, another weather system, which the National Hurricane Center says has a small chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next 48 hrs, and 60 percent in the next five days, is churning in the Atlantic.

This year is projected to see heavy hurricane activity; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently increased its forecast to 14-19 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes and 2-5 major hurricanes this season.

The latest weather system, currently deemed a disturbance, is embedded within an elongated area of low pressure located several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It says only slow development is anticipated within the next day or two, but conditions are forecast to become a little more conducive for tropical storm formation later in the week as the system moves westward at 15 mph over the tropical Atlantic.

While the chance of tropical storm formation within the next two days is at 20 percent, the chance increases to 60 percent in the next five days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Meanwhile, NHC says a tropical wave over western Africa is forecast to emerge into the far eastern Atlantic Ocean in about two days. Conditions appear conducive for some development after that time while the wave moves westward at about 15 mph. NHC says the chance for tropical storm development for the wave within the next 48 hrs is zero, with formation chances increasing to 20 percent within the next five days.

Last week the USVI was pounded with heavy rain, but the showers were nothing compared to what the British Virgin Islands, in particular Tortola, endured on August 7.

“We are now in the clean-up and recovery phase following the effects of the tropical wave that affected our territory on 7 August, 2017. As you are aware, as much as 17 inches of rain fell in less than 17 hours. This was truly an unprecedented experience for this territory,” said BVI Premier Orlando Smith in a statement issued to the media.

The aftermath of the storm left authorities with no other option but to delay carnival, which was at the height of activities when the storm came. The parade had first been rescheduled for August 12, but the vast damage forced local officials to cancel the events altogether.

“We are all grateful to God that no lives were lost. As a resilient people, we have been working together non-stop to mitigate the effects of this storm,” Mr. Smith said. The premier said relief organizations such as the Red Cross, Rotary and others were assessing the damage to inform relief and restoration decisions. Work on homes, critical infrastructure and government facilities had commenced.