The third system located south of Tropical Storm Fiona has not formed into a tropical depression yet, but everyone along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the USA should watch this one closely.
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At 11 p.m. Sunday, the center of Tropical Depression Fiona was located near latitude 23.8 North, longitude 56.6 West. Fiona is moving toward the west-northwest near 18 miles per hour and a west-northwestward motion with a gradual decrease in forward speed is forecast on Monday and Tuesday.
According to the NOAA, 78% of the tropical storm days, 87% of the category one and category two hurricane days, and an impressive 96% of the category 3, 4, and 5 days occur in the time period from mid-August to mid-October.
Tropical Storm Fiona is fizzling, but don’t breathe easy just yet.
This tropical wave is about 400 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands and in an area marginally conducive for gradual development. “If 99L passes too close to Hispaniola with its mountainous terrain, it may never become an organized tropical system”, AccuWeather expert Dan Kottlowski said in a blog post.
Tropical Depression Fiona continues to weaken and is barely holding on to tropical cyclone intensity. It was moving west-northwest at about 20 miles per hour and had sustained winds up to 50 miles per hour. Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center predict little change in strength during the next two days.
A strong tropical wave (99L) at a much farther south latitude is moving into the Central Atlantic.
Dan Kottlowski, a hurricane expert with AccuWeather, said if 99-L moves over the major islands in the Caribbean, then it may not even become a developed storm. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.
Mexican officials warned northwestern communities to be on alert Saturday as Tropical Storm Kay churns off the Pacific coast.
Right now it has a medium chance, 60 percent, of strengthening into a tropical depression over the next five days.
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However, the former director of the National Hurricane Center said that’s still a long way off. An Airforce Reserve Hurricane Aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system on Tuesday if necessary. After that the bulk of the models turn the system northwestward and take it to near the Bahamas by the weekend.
