Tropical Storm Rina has formed in the Atlantic. What the forecast track says
The forecast path and pace of Tropical Storm Philippe’s promenade into the Caribbean — and, possibly, into Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, both United States and British — changed early Thursday. And there’s still that other system behind Philippe in the central tropical Atlantic that was upgraded from AL91 to tropical storm status Thursday morning.
Here’s what the National Hurricane Center has to say about Philippe and the new Tropical Storm Rina.
Will Tropical Storm Philippe pull up short of land?
The hurricane center’s previous long-term projected path of Tropical Storm Philippe had it hitting the Virgin Islands Sunday and over Puerto Rico Monday afternoon as a tropical depression. That’s no longer the case.
The Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are no longer in its path, with Philippe traveling well east. However, it could see some serious strengthening or weakening in the coming days.
At that 5 p.m. advisory, Philippe sat about 525 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands with 45 mph maximum sustained winds, a small drop from earlier in the day. The storm’s movement remained at a slow 2 mph in a west-northwest direction.
headedThe precipitation projection says those locations should expect one to three inches of rain over the weekend and into next week.
No watches or warnings are in effect. But the hurricane center said “interests in the northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor the progress of this system” in their 5 p.m. advisory.
Philippe continues to weaken and forecasters say that’s due to it interacting with Tropical Storm Rina and some dry air.
Philippe should dissipate sometime over the next few days if such factors persist. However, if the storm does survive it could grow stronger as Philippe and Rina separate.
Storm prediction models are at odds with some showing Philippe becoming a “significant hurricane” and others showing it gradually weakening.
Tropical Storm Rina forms
The system tagged AL91 formed into Tropical Storm Rina over the central tropical Atlantic on Thursday morning.
As of the 5 p.m. advisory, Rina was 1,110 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands
Wind speed: Maximum sustained winds were 40 mph.
Movement: Rina was moving northwest at 14 mph. The storm is expected to turn more westward later Thursday or Friday, according to the center.
Strength forecast:. “Some gradual strengthening is forecast during the next several days,” the advisory said.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center.
Next advisory: 11 p.m. Thursday.
