Tropical system emerges over South Florida as Hurricane Teddy targets Bermuda, TS Beta moves toward Texas
The National Hurricane Center remains attentive to several storm systems in the Atlantic including still-large Hurricane Teddy, a new tropical system with odds of development over South Florida and Tropical Storm Beta migrating toward Texas.
First, Hurricane Teddy remains a powerful Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and is moving north-northeast at 9 mph, the NHC said in its 8 a.m. update.
Teddy is about 160 miles southeast of Bermuda, which is under a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Lower East Pubnico to Main-a-Dieu Nova Scotia, Canada.
Teddy is forecast to pass over Bermuda on Monday and keep moving northeast toward Nova Scotia
Although Teddy has lost some of its defined structure as a result of passing through cold waters upwelled by Hurricane Paulette, the storm is expected to gain some strength by Wednesday night.
After that, a front is forecast to interact with Teddy forcing it to become post-tropical by the end of the week. The storm front will likely cause Teddy to grow even larger. Teddy, which earlier in the week had 140 mph winds and was the season’s second major hurricane, still has hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 230 miles.
Next, Tropical Storm Beta remains a small storm but is forecast to produce tropical storm conditions over portions of the Texas coast Monday morning, according to the 8 a.m. update.
Beta has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, and is moving at 6 mph west. The storm is about 70 miles southeast of Port O’Connor, Texas and 120 miles south-southwest of Galveston.
Beta’s tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from its center.
Beta is forecast to make landfall Monday night. After, Beta will begin losing strength but is expected to retain its structure throughout the week at least until Friday when it is forecast to dissipate.
Beta’s Lone Star arrival has issued several storm warnings including a storm surge warning for Port Aransas, Texas to Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana.
A tropical storm warning is also in effect from Port Aransas, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana and a tropical storm watch was issued from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas, Texas.
The NHC is also monitoring two systems with odds of becoming the next tropical depression or tropical storm including a weak frontal system associated with an area of showers and thunderstorms hanging over South Florida.
The disturbance is forecast to move south toward Cuba, and then turn around Thursday back toward Florida into the weekend. The environment is ideal for tropical development. The disturbance has a 20% chance of developing over the next five days. If it does and becomes a tropical storm, it will receive the Greek letter Gamma as its name.
The disturbance is forecast bring heavy rainfall across South Florida and the Keys throughout the day Monday and through the evening.
Post-tropical cyclone Paulette is the second system the NHC is monitoring as a small area of showers and thunderstorms is not far to the northeast of its center of circulation.
Forecasters anticipate some development from the system to either regain its tropical status or a subtropical classification Monday or Tuesday. The system is moving east between 10 to 15 mph, and has a 60% chance of developing over the next two to five days.
The hurricane season officially runs from June 1-Nov. 30, but 2020 saw two storms form before June 1, and still has more than 10 weeks to go.
This story will be updated throughout the day. Check back for updates.
For more coverage go to OrlandoSentinel.com/hurricane.
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