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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Atlantic basin is ending August on a busy note. Tropical Storm Jose formed Thursday as the National Hurricane Center monitors two other disturbances.
Tropical Storm Jose
Tropical Storm Jose formed overnight. It was located about 785 miles east-southeast of Bermuda around 2 p.m.
The storm had 40 mph winds and is moving north at 5 mph.
Forecasters said Jose will likely maintain some tropical storm-force winds before it’s absorbed by Hurricane Franklin on Friday.
2 disturbances in the Atlantic
The NHC is watching two disturbances in the Atlantic, including one with an 80 percent chance of development.
Meteorologists said the system with a high chance of development is located just west of the Cabo Verde Islands. The tropical wave continues to produce showers and thunderstorms that are gradually becoming better organized, the NHC said.
Forecasters believe the system will likely become a tropical depression over the next few days as it moves northwestward between 10 and 15 mph across the eastern tropical Atlantic.
The NHC is also watching what was once Tropical Storm Gert. Meteorologists said the system has a short window for further development before environmental conditions become more unfavorable by the weekend.
Tropical Storm Idalia
Idalia was downgraded to a tropical storm. It continues to produce heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding in portions of eastern North Carolina.
The storm has winds near 60 mph and is moving east-northeast at 21 mph. Forecasters believe Idalia will gradually weaken on Friday and Saturday.
Idalia is expected to move over the western Atlantic over the weekend.
Hurricane Franklin
Hurricane Franklin is moving further away from Bermuda but is creating dangerous surf and rip current conditions along the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States coast.
The NHC said Franklin’s winds were near 100 mph Thursday morning.
The storm is forecast to weaken and move away from Bermuda.
