Josephine fizzles out in Atlantic Ocean

Hurricane center tracking 2 new developing waves

As Tropical Depression Josephine weakened into a trough of low pressure toward the northern Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center tracked two new tropical waves with potential for development on Sunday.

Josephine was located about 255 miles northwest of the northern Leeward Islands, and 175 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 5 p.m. Sunday. With maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, the storm continued to move west-northwest at 12 mph.

After following a general northwestward motion through Sunday, the remnants of Josephine are forecast to bend northeastward Tuesday and Wednesday — avoiding Florida, but putting

Bermuda in its sights. Models show the storm downgraded to a tropical depression before it reaches Bermuda.

“Josephine is expected to cause storm-total rainfall of 1 to 3 inches over portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” the hurricane center said. “Isolated minor flooding is possible in Puerto Rico through Monday.”

Tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 105 miles from the center toward the northeast.

Meanwhile, Kyle, which was a tropical cyclone, weakened in both strength and forward movement speed, according to the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory. It was last located about 545 southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland with maximum sustained winds at 40 mph as the storm moved east and away from the U.S. coast at 31 mph.

Forecasters said its “general motion is expected to continue through Monday”

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The hurricane center is also keeping a close eye on two other tropical waves making noise in the Atlantic.

The first, described as “fast-moving,” was producing a small area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms about 700 miles east of the Windward Islands, the NHC said.

“This system is expected to move westward at 20 mph during the next few days, and that fast speed is likely to limit development while the system approaches the Windward and northern Leeward Islands today and Monday and moves across the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday,” forecasters said in an 2 p.m. advisory Sunday.

Favorable development conditions may be present during the middle to latter part of the coming week, the center said, with up to a 20% chance in the next 48 hours, and up to 40% in the next five days.

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The second wave was producing a large area of clouds and showers west off the coast of Africa, and is expected to head west at 15 to 20 mph in the next few days, the NHC said.

The chances of formation within the next hours are near 0%, but up to 40% in the next five days.

Josephine made its debut as a tropical storm Thursday morning in the mid-Atlantic as the earliest 10th named storm on record followed by Friday’s Kyle becoming the earliest 11th storm. Josephine upgraded from a tropical depression after convective patterns in the storm became more organized. Kyle skipped over the tropical-depression phase and went straight to tropical-storm status.

More coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/hurricane.

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