Tropical Storm Rene joins Tropical Storm Paulette; NHC eyes two other potential systems
Tropical Storm Rene joined Tropical Storm Paulette, both forming Monday afternoon in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The two systems spun up on a busy Monday in the tropics becoming the 16th and 17th named storms of the 2020 hurricane season while the NHC is also keeping an eye on two other potential systems that could become either a tropical depression or storm in the next five days.
The formation of Rene is the earliest ever for a hurricane season’s 17th storm by 11 days. In 2005, the busiest season on record, what eventually became Hurricane Rita formed on Sept. 18, 2005. Paulette in turn was the earliest 16th storm by 10 days, beating out 2005’s Phillippe, which formed on Sept. 17 and also eventually grew into a hurricane.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, Tropical Storm Paulette is about 1,220 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands and is moving slowly northwest at 3 mph with maximum winds at 40 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles.
“Modest additional strengthening is expected during the next couple of days,” NHC forecaster David Zelinsky wrote.
The five-day forecast keeps it in the Atlantic with no threat to land growing in strength to 60 mph sus
tained winds by Wednesday. Beyond next Friday, it could potentially become a threat to Bermuda, but that island nation is hundreds of miles away from the cone of uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rene formed by 5 p.m., and by 8 p.m. located in the east Atlantic over Boa Vista Island in the Cabo Verde Islands, which are under a tropical storm warning. Rene has sustained winds of 40 mph and is moving west-northwest at 12 mph.
“On the forecast track, the center of the cyclone will pass over the Cabo Verde Islands tonight and early Tuesday,” NHC forecasters said.
The system is expected to drop 2-5 inches of rain across the islands through Tuesday along with swells
that could cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend out 45 miles.
The long-term forecast has Rene growing into hurricane by Thursday and strengthening to sustained winds of 80 mph, but turning to the north in the midAtlantic and no threat to land.
The hurricane center is also tracking two disturbances Monday with varying chances of formation.
An area of low pressure southwest of Bermuda is producing disorganized showers and a few thunderstorms and has a 20% chance of forming within the next two days and 40% chance this week.
A tropical wave is predicted to emerge off the west coast of Africa in a few
days and a tropical depression could form later this week while the system moves west across the Atlantic. It has a 60% chance of forming in the next five days.
The remaining names for the 2020 season are Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
If the total amount of 2020 storms exceeds the designated name list; which it is expected to, hurricane specialists will begin using letters from the Greek alphabet to name storm; a tactic meteorologists have only had to use once before in 2005, which had a total of 28 named storms.