Tropical Storm Bret trekking toward Lesser Antilles, Tropical Depression #4 forms
MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bret has strengthened some over the past 24 hours, now with 70 mph sustained winds. Some additional strengthening will be possible over the next day or so, but it is no longer forecast to become a hurricane before reaching the Lesser Antilles.
Bret will cross the Lesser Antilles Thursday night into Friday as what is forecast to be a mid to upper end tropical storm. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for St. Lucia, Dominica, and Martinique. St. Lucia is also under a Hurricane Watch. Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for Barbados, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Bret will move into the Caribbean on Friday, where it should encounter a hostile environment for further development, featuring high wind shear and dry air. This will eventually tear this system apart and it is now forecast to dissipate by Sunday. Hence, it will not be a threat to the mainland United States, including Florida.
Tropical Depression #4 in the central Atlantic is moving west with 35 mph winds. Some strengthening is forecast over the next few days. If it becomes a tropical storm, it will take the name Cindy. Forecast models are strongly signaling a turn to the north and out to sea before reaching the Caribbean. The Next Weather CBS News Miami team of meteorologists will monitor any shifts in forecast guidance, but for now, it is not a threat to the United States.
BY NEXT Weather Meteorologist KC Sherman