New system may move toward Caribbean; Tropical Storm Don expected to strengthen

An area of storm activity in the far eastern Atlantic, which is expected to move toward the Caribbean, is being monitored for possible storm development, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.

As of 8 a.m., the area of “cloudiness and showers” was located over the Atlantic, several hundred miles south of Africa’s Cabo Verde Islands. Forecasters have given it a 20% chance of developing within the next seven days as it moves west.

Conditions are most conducive for development later this week as it moves west at 15-20 mph, away from dry air, forecasters said.

As of  5 a.m. Wednesday, Tropical Storm Don was 740 miles west-southwest of the Azores, which are in the mid-Atlantic about 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal, moving south at 5 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

The storm is expected to stay over the open waters in the central Atlantic and should strengthen later in the week when it crosses over warmer waters and meets light to moderate winds. Tropical-storm-force winds extended out 60 miles from Don’s center as of early Wednesday.

Don is expected to move north of the Gulf Stream later in the week, where it will encounter cooler water temperatures and could degenerate thereafter, the latest outlook said.

Meteorologists with Colorado State University have predicted 18 named storms for this season and nine hurricanes, four of which will be major. The forecast already includes an unnamed subtropical storm in January and Tropical Storms Arlene, Bret and Cindy in June.

The next named storm will be Emily.