The National Hurricane Center reported it was located about 1,160 miles east-southeast of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 10 mph.
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The Hurricane Center gave the storm a 60 percent chance of developing into a tropical system over the next five days.
The tropical wave is moving west-northwest at 10 miles per hour and is now being hindered in its development by upper-level winds. However, if it remains away from land there is a decent chance that the disorganized center will move into the Gulf of Mexico.
However there are no coastal watches or warnings because Lester is moving west into the Pacific at a speed of nine miles (15 kilometres) per hour.
Forecasters do expect the system to get into the Gulf, but say it has been significantly weakened. The Bahamas could also see gusty winds Friday and Saturday, forecasters said.
As we head into the peak of the northern hemisphere tropical storm season, there are tropical storms active in the North Atlantic and across the North Pacific. Conditions are not expected to get any better today as it moves to the west around 13 miles per hour.
“Since covering storms at The Weather Channel, I’ve observed that while severe weather is most difficult to cover and winter weather arguably most difficult to forecast, tropical weather is the most difficult to communicate”. This system has a high, 90% chance to develop into a tropical cyclone as it moves west northwestward. One factor that appears to be taking its toll on an attempt for this disturbance to consolidate showers and storms near the alleged center of circulation is wind shear. Regardless of development, heavy rain and thunderstorms will batter Hispaniola, as well as eastern and central Cuba.
With the moist, saturated soil in Louisiana, the area “could quickly experience flooding again”, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Timothy Destri of the New Orleans office.
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Though this storm fizzled out, emergency responders still recommend that Floridians have a plan in place. Today they found winds at 35 mph, so there has been so weakening over the last 24 hours with this disturbance. It is expected to reach hurricane strength tonight and could send surf to east shores of Hawaii next week, depending on the strength of the winds and its eventual path.
