Tropical Storm Fred Develops Near Puerto Rico

A tempest strategy southbound of Puerto Rico developed into Tropical Storm Fred connected Tuesday night, the sixth named tempest of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

In an update earlier 11 p.m., the National Hurricane Center cautioned that Tropical Storm Fred was expected to nutrient dense rainfall implicit Puerto Rico overnight and successful Hispaniola connected Wednesday, which could pb to flash flooding. Fred was producing winds up to 40 miles per hour, moving westbound astatine 17 m.p.h, the hurricane halfway said.

By Thursday, the hurricane halfway said, the tempest is expected to beryllium adjacent the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The tempest was expected to determination implicit Cuba, and caput northwest into the Gulf of Mexico, adjacent Florida, according to a forecast by the hurricane center.

The links betwixt hurricanes and clime alteration are becoming much apparent. A warming satellite tin expect to spot stronger hurricanes implicit time, and a higher incidence of the astir almighty storms — though the wide fig of storms could drop, due to the fact that factors similar stronger upwind shear could support weaker storms from forming.

Hurricanes are besides becoming wetter due to the fact that of much h2o vapor successful the warmer atmosphere; scientists person suggested storms similar Hurricane Harvey successful 2017 produced acold much rainfall than they would person without the quality effects connected climate. Also, rising oversea levels are contributing to higher tempest surge — the astir destructive constituent of tropical cyclones.

Ana became the archetypal named tempest of the play connected May 23, making this the seventh twelvemonth successful a enactment that a named tempest developed successful the Atlantic earlier the authoritative commencement of the play connected June 1.

The astir caller named tempest successful the Atlantic was Hurricane Elsa successful aboriginal July. Elsa chopped done Cuba and past Florida, yet making its mode into New York City, wherever dense rainfall from the tempest flooded subway stations and roadways.

In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that determination would beryllium 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would beryllium hurricanes, and 3 to 5 large hurricanes of Category 3 oregon higher successful the Atlantic. Last week, successful a midseason update to the forecast, they continued to pass that this year’s hurricane play would beryllium an supra mean one, suggesting a engaged extremity to the season.

Matthew Rosencrans, of the NOAA, said that an updated forecast suggested that determination would beryllium 15 to 21 named storms, including 7 to 10 hurricanes, by the extremity of the play connected Nov. 30. Fred is the sixth named tempest of 2021.

Last year, determination were 30 named storms, including six large hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the 2nd clip and determination to utilizing Greek letters.

It was the highest fig of storms connected record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and included the second-highest fig of hurricanes connected record.

Jesus Jiménez contributed reporting.