Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm later today, and could be near hurricane strength by the time landfall occurs. Right now, the track shows the storm staying to the east as it moves north, but AccuWeather meteorologists say that’s too close for comfort right now.
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US authorities said ~22%, or ~353 boe/day, of production in USA regulated areas of the Gulf had been shut as of late yesterday because of the storm threat. It’s predicted to be up near New England Saturday and Sunday. Forecasters issued a tropical storm watch for the north part of the coast, from Cape Lookout to the Oregon Inlet, warning that strong winds could be felt by Tuesday afternoon.
Hurricane Madeline is a powerful category 4 storm with winds sustained at 130 mph.in the central Pacific.
Other companies have said they were monitoring the storm, which is expected to hit Florida later this week. It’s also expected to become a tropical storm by Wednesday.
At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression 9 was located near 24.6 degrees north latitude and 88.1 degrees west longitude.
The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. EDT that torrential rains continue over western Cuba and that a tropical storm watch likely to be issued for a portion of the Florida Gulf Coast later today, August 30. But forecasters say the storm isn’t expected to surpass tropical-storm strength as it lashes North Carolina beaches through Wednesday.
The tropical depression was about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras on Tuesday morning with top sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph).
A tropical storm watch is in effect for the southern half of Georgia’s 100-mile coast and a stretch of north Florida’s Atlantic region. Here is the projected path of this storm: HURRICANE GASTONThis hurricane is far from the US coast and is tracking east-northeast.
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Right behind Hurricane Madeline is Hurricane Lester which is a major hurricane with winds sustained at 125 miles per hour making it a category 3 hurricane. Though Sarasota County is not within the storms projected path, the National Weather Service warns there are still significant threats outside the the cone of uncertainty.
