Hurricane Tammy slides away from Caribbean as NHC tracks 2nd system

Hurricane Tammy is moving away from the Caribbean’s Leeward Islands into the Atlantic while the National Hurricane Center has increased odds for another system to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

As of 8 a.m., the center of Tammy was located about 60 miles northeast of Anguilla moving north-northwest at 10 mph with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend out 25 miles and tropical-storm-force winds out 140 miles.

All tropical watches and warnings have ceased for the northern Leeward Islands as the system heads away from land. Its five-day path, though, could see it headed toward Bermuda.

Meanwhile, trailing rains will continue to add to weekend totals of up to 12 inches in some isolated areas of the islands that could pose some flood and mudslide threat.

And wave heights offshore could reach 25 feet through Sunday morning, according to the NHC’s Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch. Its swells will continue to be a threat to Atlantic-facing shores with a threat of strong surf and heavy rip currents.

Elsewhere the NHC increased the chances a system in the southwestern Caribbean could develop.

The area of low pressure off the coast of Central America had better organized showers and thunderstorms on Sunday morning.

“Gradual development of this system is possible, and a tropical depression could form before the system moves inland over Nicaragua by early Tuesday,” forecasters said. “Regardless of development, this system could produce heavy rains over portions of Central America during the next couple of days.”

The NHC gives it a 50% chance to develop in the next two to seven days.

If it were to form, it would become the season’s 21st official system, and if it had named-storm status could become Tropical Storm Vince.