Colin moves over coastal North Carolina as weakening tropical depression

Chris Perkins, Keven Lerner, Lois K. Solomon, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·2 min read

Activity in the tropics is slowing back down after a busy week.

Of the two storm systems left in the Atlantic, one in the Caribbean Sea now , one in the Caribbean Sea and the other over coastal North Carolina, were still active on Saturday evening, but neither poses a threat to South Florida, forecasters said.

Colin, which was over coastal North Carolina as of 11 p.m. Saturday, was downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression in the late-night advisory, while a tropical wave in the Atlantic that’s headed in South Florida’s general direction is still being given a low chance of developing, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Wind shear is expected to tear the system apart over the next few days as it travels west-northwest across the Caribbean Sea. The system is producing showers and thunderstorms over the eastern Caribbean.

However, no rain impact is expected in South Florida from that system over the long July 4th holiday weekend.

Tropical Storm Bonnie has crossed over Central America and emerged in the Pacific.

Tropical Storm Colin, which formed early Saturday morning after showing up Friday as a low pressure system, has caused tropical storm warnings to be posted for portions of the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts.

As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Colin was 15 miles north of Wilmington, N.C., and moving northeast at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf are being reported along the Carolina coasts.

Colin is expected to turn east-northeast and accelerate during the next day or two.

According to the hurricane center: “Colin will continue to produce locally heavy rainfall across coastal portions of North Carolina and northern South Carolina through Sunday morning. An additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall, with isolated amounts up to 4 inches in eastern North Carolina, is possible. This rainfall may result in localized areas of flash flooding.”

Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall Friday night near the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica after forming earlier in the day in the Caribbean Sea. Bonnie retains its name as a Pacific storm because it crossed from the Atlantic over Central America and emerged in the Pacific intact. Hurricane Otto made the same journey in 2016. If Bonnie would have broken up traveling across Central America it would have a new name in the Pacific.

As of 11 p.m. Saturday, Bonnie was located about 320 miles west-northwest of Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica, and moving west at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds at 60 mph and tropical storm-force winds extending 70 miles.

“Bonnie is expected to continue moving away from Nicaragua and parallel to the coasts of Central America and southern Mexico for the next several days,” according to the hurricane center.

The next named storm would be called Danielle.

Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.