Tracking The Tropics: Earl continues to strengthen, forecast to become major hurricane
MIAMI - Hurricane Earl continues to strengthen and tropical storm conditions are expected in Bermuda on Thursday afternoon.
As of 8 a.m., Earl was a Category 2 Hurricane located about 265 miles south of Bermuda, it was moving to the north at 10 miles per hour. Earl is forecast to become a Major Category 3 Hurricane on Thursday and turn towards the northeast. The center of Earl is expected to pass to the southeast of Bermuda Thursday evening.
A Hurricane Watch and a Tropical Storm Warning are in effect for Bermuda.
Swells generated by Earl are building near Bermuda and are expected to reach the U.S. coast late Thursday. These swells may cause dangerous rip currents along much of the Atlantic coast through the weekend.
Daniella has weakened to a Tropical Storm but is still producing a large area of rough seas. At 8 a.m., Danielle was located about 660 miles north-northwest of the Azores and was moving to the northeast at 16 miles per hour. Danielle is expected to become a post-tropical system on Thursday.
In the Central Atlantic, a low-pressure system located almost a thousand miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands has a high potential for cyclone development over the next 5 days as it moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph. Environmental conditions appear only marginally conducive for additional development, but if it becomes a little better organized, there is a chance it may become a tropical depression or tropical storm on Thursday.
In the Eastern Atlantic, a tropical wave has emerged off the west coast of Africa and it has a low potential of development over the next 5 days as it moves generally to the west-northwest.