System in the Caribbean could cross over Florida
Forecasters said Monday that some development is possible this week from an area of low pressure in the western Caribbean that is expected to travel through the Gulf of Mexico then move across northern Florida before emerging over the Atlantic.
Upper-level winds over the Gulf are expected to hinder its development, keeping its odds of development low for the time being, but that could change after it moves into the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Larry is forecast to bring “dangerous and life-threatening” rip currents and swells to the east coasts of the U.S. and Canada by midweek after passing Bermuda at hurricane strength, experts said.
Larry’s top winds reached 125 mph Sunday, just 5 mph shy of the minimum threshold for a Category 4 hurricane. After dropping to 120 mph early Monday, the winds were back up to 125 mph.
Larry is forecast to pass east of Bermuda, making its closest approach Thursday. Because Larry is such a large storm, “impacts could be felt even if [Larry’s] center remains well east of the island as forecast,” the hurricane center said.
This season, Hurricanes Larry, Grace and Ida all had winds top winds greater than 125 mph, according to Colorado State University hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach. Only three other Atlantic seasons on record have had three hurricanes with top winds of over 125 mph by this point in September:
1933, 2005 and 2008, he said.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, Larry was 665 miles east-northeast of the Caribbean Sea and 950 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving on a path to the northwest at 10 mph. Larry is expected to decrease in speed in the coming days.
Forecasters said there’s a chance Larry will exist until next week, becoming the longest-lived system of the season, surpassing Ida, which lasted nine days.
The next named storm to form would be Mindy.