Just one day after the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, a tropical storm developed in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, NOAA forecasters said. The season’s first named storm is Tropical Storm Arlene.
With barely a 20% chance of intensifying into a cyclone within 48 hours, the system began late on Wednesday night in the Gulf of Mexico as a simple tropical disturbance. But by early Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center reported it had a 70% chance of intensifying into a tropical storm.
Arlene is the current name for what was once known as Invest 91L, Tropical Depression Two, and Arlene. On Friday, shortly after 1:30 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center made the revised designation official and stated that there is “no significant threat to land.”
Tropical Depression Two has been upgraded to Tropical Storm #Arlene in the Gulf of Mexico. No change to the forecast and no significant threat to land. See https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ for details. pic.twitter.com/VCKrb9BHwp
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) June 2, 2023
Arlene is moving at just under 5 mph with continuous winds of up to 40 mph and much higher gusts, although the center expects that pace to “increase slightly” throughout the night.
The storm is forecast to move south into Cuba before losing part of its wind speed and reverting to a tropical depression by Saturday morning.
Although the storm’s high winds reach 70 miles into the distance, the center claimed that Tropical Storm Arlene is “not directly related to Tropical Storm Arlene.”
The rain is expected to affect central and southern Florida. Through Saturday, 1 to 2 inches of rain are expected to fall in those areas, with up to 5 inches possible in certain places.
However, the center cautioned “Regardless, the heavy rainfall could lead to isolate flash, urban, and small stream flooding impacts.”
According to the National Hurricane Center, the low-pressure system that originated over the Gulf of Mexico had a “broad but well-defined circulation with maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph,” anticipating the tropical storm’s development.
“The official NHC forecast still calls for the system to briefly become a tropical storm before environmental conditions become increasingly hostile later on Friday and into Saturday,” the center said on Thursday.
Tropical Depression #Two Advisory 2: Tropical Depression Moving Slowly Southward. Expected to Remain Offshore and Be Short-Lived. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) June 2, 2023
Forecasters, a “near normal” hurricane season with at least 12 named storms is expected in 2023.
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