In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Lester is located about 156 nautical miles south southwest of Socorro Island. Computer guidance models are split over where the system will go next, with about an even split as to whether it will curve to the north and impact Florida and the east coast or continue into the Gulf of Mexico. No coastal warnings or watches are in effect but the National Hurricane Center has issued several advisories for the storm.
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The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm’s maximum sustained winds early Thursday are near 75 miles per hour (120 kph) with weakening forecast during the next day or so.
2016 thus far has seen seven named storms, with only two of those becoming hurricanes.
Gaston is the tropical storm in the open Atlantic that has encountered stronger upper wind shear which caused a slight dip in intensity.
“A track somewhere through Florida or the Florida Straits and into the Gulf appears to be the most likely outcome”, according to the Weather Underground. However, the last hurricane to directly hit the Lowcountry was Gaston in August 2004.
Rivers surged across a large section of the Dominican Republic on Thursday as a broad area of low pressure headed east to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, officials said.
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As we close in on the historical peak of hurricane season, now is the time to make sure you’re prepared. Little change in strength is expected tonight or Friday but re-strengthening is anticipated to begin Friday night, and Gaston is forecast to become a hurricane again on Saturday. This is very typical, and there’s no use in taking stock in any one model run until the storm is developed and we have a better handle on the system itself.
