Tropics heating up with Emily, Franklin, Gert and fourth system
MIAMI - After an early summer lull, the tropics are heating up with tropical storms Emily, Franklin, Gert and Tropical Depression 9 but they are not a threat to Florida.
"None of these tropical systems are coming here to South Florida," chief meteorologist and hurricane specialist Ivan Cabrera said Monday evening. "We are going through the alphabet very quickly."
Tropical Storm Emily formed over the weekend and as of early Monday it was about 1165 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and was weakening. The storm had sustained winds of 40 mph as it moved to the west-northwest at 12 mph.
As of the 11 a.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Emily had become a remnant low, and slow weakening was expected during the next couple of days.
Late Monday morning, Tropical Storm Franklin was about 240 miles south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The storm had sustained winds of 50 mph as it moves to the west at 6 mph.
A westward to west-northwestward track is expected to continue on Monday. A sharp turn to the north is expected Monday night or early Tuesday, and a generally northward motion is expected on Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Franklin is forecast to reach the southern coast of Hispaniola late Tuesday or Tuesday night.
Some strengthening is forecast before Franklin reaches Hispaniola. It will likely dump heavy rain over portions of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico over the next couple of days.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic's entire south coast from Haiti border eastward to Isla Saona. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for Haiti's entire south coast from Anse d'Hainault eastward to the Dominican Republic border.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Dominican Republic's entire north and east coast from the Haiti border eastward and southward to Isla Saona. The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gert is quickly unraveling.
Monday morning, Gert was about 455 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands. It was moving to the west at 9 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph. A gradual turn toward the west-northwest is forecast by Monday night.
Gert is expected to become a remnant low late Monday and dissipate on Tuesday.
There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect for this storm.
We also have Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine which is forecast to become Tropical Storm Harold before making landfall along the southeast coast of Texas on Monday night.
