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The National Weather Service says a disturbance that has already triggered a tropical storm warning for several islands in the Atlantic is expected to become “Fred” the season’s 6th named storm, reaching Florida by Saturday.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) named a disturbance in the Atlantic as Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 and expects it to become the 6th named storm of the season, Fred, later today.
According to the NHC, as of 5 AM on Tuesday, the storm was 65 miles southwest of Guadeloupe with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph with higher gusts. Tropical storm designation occurs when the system has maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph.
On Tuesday, the NHC said the storm was expected to produce rainfall of 2 to 4 inches over the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, with up to 6 inches in some areas, and could lead to flooding and mudslides.
The NHS issued tropical storm warnings on Tuesday for the following areas: Puerto Rico, including Culebra and Vieques, and the Dominican Republic. A tropical storm watch was issued for Martinique and Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, the Turks, and Caicos Islands, and the Dominican Republic, as well as, the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands, Click Orlando reported.
Potential tropical storm Fred is expected to achieve winds of 45-50 mph by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, weakening briefly as it passes over Haiti on Wednesday-Thursday, then regaining tropical strength as it passes over Cuba on Thursday-Friday, and reaching southern Florida by early Saturday a.m. with winds of 45 mph, increasing to 60 mph by Sunday as it moves into the Eastern Gulf, according to the current projections, Local 10 Miami reported.
According to the latest NHC projections, while the entire state of Florida is within the potential tropical storm’s cone, the “eye” or center of the storm will be off the tip of southern Florida on Saturday, with the eye moving into the Gulf slightly west of Tampa Bay on Sunday.
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For the best information on how to be prepared for severe weather and tornadoes, visit these US government websites for articles on preparedness at:
