Tropical Storm Kyle joins Josephine in the Atlantic. Both forecast to stay out at sea.
Tropical Storm Josephine has company in the Atlantic, but both storms are predicted to stay out at sea.
Tropical Storm Kyle formed Friday afternoon about 200 miles east of Atlantic City, according to the National Hurricane Center. The eleventh named storm of the season shattered another record, forming faster than any other K-named storm. Forecasters said they expect the short-lived storm to head east before dissolving Sunday night.
Josephine is also expected to dissipate by Monday, if not sooner. The hurricane center’s latest track keeps the storm out at sea, and it could bring a couple inches of rain to the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
As of the 5 p.m. Friday update, the storm is about 460 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and is heading west-northwestward over the Atlantic at 16 mph, according to the hurricane center. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts and its tropical storm force winds are extending outward up to 80 miles.
Forecasters said they expect Josephine, the 10th named storm of the season, to see some additional strengthening during the next day or so before weakening into a depression again by Monday or Tuesday.
The latest track shows the storm staying far away from land as it heads west through the weekend before making a northern turn Sunday night. There are no watches or warnings in effect at this time.
“Josephine should pass far enough to the northeast of the Leeward Islands over the weekend to prevent major impact,” forecasters wrote. “However, interests in the area should continue to monitor its progress until the storm has passed north of that area.”
NOAA recently updated its 2020 hurricane season predictions upward to 19 to 25 named storms, a record-breaking prediction.
The most active hurricane season on record, 2005, saw 28 named storms, including Katrina, Rita and Wilma. There were so many storms, the hurricane center had to start naming new ones after letters in the Greek alphabet.
The next named storm would be Laura.
