The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before curving out to sea, and looks highly unlikely to impact the United States directly. No coastal warnings or watches are in effect but the National Hurricane Center has issued several advisories for the storm. The system could affect Florida and possibly the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend.
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The system could become Tropical Depression Eight at any time now but it will be by the end of the week that it turns into a tropical storm.
Maximum sustained winds are being measured near 50 miles per hour with higher gusts being recorded, while tropical storm force winds are now extending outward up to 45 miles from the storm’s center. Experts expect Gaston to remain as a hurricane for a couple of days but will not harm anyone as it moves on the open waters of the Atlantic just east of Bermuda.
An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft will be investigating the disturbance later Wednesday morning.
Regardless of development, the storm will bring gusty winds and heavy tropical downpours to areas of the Caribbean from Puerto Rico and Hispaniola to the Bahamas.
The storm, drifting to the north-northwest, could gain momentum as it nears the central Bahamas late Friday into Saturday and approach the South Florida coast, 10Weather WTSP meteorologist Bobby Deskins said.
Most of the computer models meteorologists use to forecast tropical weather show the system hitting the Southeast U.S. between Florida and SC sometime Sunday or later, Masters said.
At 5 a.m., center of Tropical Storm Gaston was located 975 miles west of Cabo Verde Islands, moving west-northwest near 17 mph.
Although the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, this year’s first hurricane – Alex – formed in January during an unusual weather event. Even if Invest 99L never becomes organized into a tropical storm or hurricane, parts of southeastern Florida will experience high winds, torrential rain, and possible flash flooding.
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Currently, maximum sustained winds from Gaston have decreased from 75 miles per hour earlier on Thursday to approximately 70 miles per hour, with higher gusts being reported.
