TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tropical Storm Teddy, the earliest “T” named storm on record, formed in the Atlantic Monday morning and is forecast to reach hurricane strength later this week, the National Hurricane Center said.
The tropics remain extremely active Monday morning with Teddy, Tropical Storm Sally, Hurricane Paulette, Tropical Depression Rene and Tropical Depression 21 all churning along with another disturbance and a tropical wave that is expected to emerge off the coast of Africa in the coming days.
Tropical Storm Teddy
Forecasters say Tropical Depression Twenty strengthened into Tropical Storm Teddy Monday and is expected to become a powerful hurricane later this week.
At 5 a.m., the storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was about 1,110 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. It’s moving west-northwest at 14 mph.
The storm is expected to move west-northwest for the next day or two, and turn toward the northwest in the next couple of days as it strengthens into a hurricane.
Teddy has replaced 2005’s Tammy as the earliest “T” storm on record.
Tropical Storm Sally
Sally is nearing the northern Gulf Coast this morning, and is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and flash flooding to the area later today.
At 5 a.m., the storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was located about 120 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph.
Forecasters predict Sally will move over the north-central Gulf today, nearing southeastern Louisiana this afternoon. It’s expected to make landfall in the hurricane warning area on Tuesday, then move slowly north-northeastward near the northern Gulf Coast through Wednesday.
The storm is expected to dump 8 to 16 inches of rain on the central Gulf Coast with isolated amounts of 24 inches.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- Port Fourchon Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida Border
- Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Borgne
- Mobile Bay
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Morgan City Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama Border
- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas including metropolitan New
Orleans
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Mississippi/Alabama Border to Indian Pass Florida
- Intracoastal City Louisiana to west of Morgan City
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
- Mississippi/Alabama Border to the Alabama/Florida Border
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
- Indian Pass to Ochlockonee River Florida
Hurricane Paulette
Paulette is battering Bermuda with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.
At 5 a.m., the entire island was inside the eye of the storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.
The storm is moving west-northwest at 12 mph, and should pass over Bermuda sometime in the next couple of hours.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Bermuda.
Tropical Depression Rene
Forecasters say Rene is hanging on as a tropical depression this morning.
At 5 a.m., the storm had maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and was 1,115 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands.
Tropical Depression 21
Tropical Depression 21 formed over the far eastern tropical Atlantic on Monday, but is expected to be short-lived, the NHC said.
At 6 a.m., the depression was located about 330 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving north at 6 mph.
Other areas to watch
Forecasters are also watching an area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico and a tropical wave that’s about to emerge off Africa.
The first disturbance, located over the west-central Gulf of Mexico, is producing limited shower activity and has a low 10 percent chance of development in the next five days.
The NHC is also monitoring a tropical wave near the west coast of Africa. The wave is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms and has a 40% chance of developing in the next five days.