Tropical Storm Fred is strengthening rapidly with top winds now 65 mph and it should become a hurricane overnight. Hurricanes this far east are rare indeed and seldom hit the Cape Verde Islands. This one could move across the entire island chain.
It should be noted that there are only 4 instances in the National Hurricane Center data base of tropical storms or hurricanes this far east. Also storms in the eastern Atlantic that wind up north of 20 north and there have been quite a few…in every instance they wind up staying over the ocean.
SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST…2100 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…14.4N 21.3W
ABOUT 150 MI…245 KM ESE OF PRAIA IN THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…65 MPH…100 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW OR 310 DEGREES AT 16 MPH…26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…998 MB…29.47 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
None
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Cape Verde Islands
With regards to the longer term Fred is likely to turn westward along 20N north and it will be encountering a cooler ocean and increasing wind shear so the longer term survival of Fred will be in question after it reaches its peak in the next day or so.
Erika remnants continue to produce heavy rains over South Florida but strong southerly winds aloft are present and regeneration of Erika is not expected under these hostile conditions.