Tropical Storm Franklin to bring possible life-threatening flooding to Caribbean – Yahoo News

As Tropical Storm Harold lashed the south Texas coast with heavy winds and rain and since has been downgraded to a depression, forecasters are still tracking Tropical Storm Franklin in the Caribbean and two other systems in the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the systems in the Atlantic had been Tropical Storm Emily earlier this week, and the second is moving west-northwest off the Cabo Verde Islands. Tropical Storm Gert has weakened into a post-tropical remnant.

Franklin will veer north toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and has prompted tropical storm warnings for their entire southern coasts. The National Hurricane Center also warned of potential life-threatening flooding there through Wednesday. Once Franklin is back over water, the system could become the second Atlantic hurricane of the season.

None of these systems are currently projected to head to Florida.

Harold made landfall on Padre Island, Texas, as a tropical storm Tuesday morning with winds reaching 50 mph. Heavy rain and tropical-storm-force winds battered the Texas and Mexico coast.

The storm had moved inland by Tuesday evening, 15 miles east of Laredo, moving at 21 mph in a northwesterly direction, and is expected to bring potential flash flooding and possible tornadoes.

At the time of landfall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measured gusts to 59 mph at Padre Island. Later, Falfurrias, Texas, 30 miles inland from the coast, recorded sustained winds of 35 mph with a gust to 60 mph.

As of 5 p.m., the hurricane center discontinued any tropical storm warnings and watches.

The system is expected to dwindle Wednesday as it moves inland over rough terrain. Still, heavy rains were forecast across South Texas through early Wednesday, as well as across portions of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

The storm was forecast to produce rainfall ranging from 3 to 7 inches in parts of Texas and Mexico.

Tropical Storm Franklin

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Tropical Storm Franklin was located about 200 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained winds at 40 mph and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 105 miles, mainly to the east of the center.

Though the storm was crawling north-northwest at 6 mph, it is expected to turn further north and then to the northeast by Thursday. Franklins center will cross Haiti and the Dominican Republic before reemerging into the southwestern Atlantic late Wednesday, the centers 8 p.m. update said.

It is not forecast to strengthen much as it moves near and over the island, the hurricane center said, though it could strengthen once it is out over the water and moves farther northeast later in the week.

Franklin likely will hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic as a tropical storm, with tropical-storm force winds continuing through Wednesday. The system could become a hurricane Sunday after it moves northeast past the island and out to sea, according to hurricane center estimates. Its eventual path during the weekend remains uncertain.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for the southern coasts of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with expected storm surge of 1-3 feet. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic and areas of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The system could bring up to 15 inches of rain to Haiti and the Dominican Republic and up to 6 inches to Puerto Rico, according to the latest estimates. The hurricane center warned of potential flash and urban flooding.

Post-tropical remnant Gert

Gert formed early Monday. However, by Monday evening, Gert had weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression, and by Tuesday morning, the system had declined to a post-tropical remnant with maintaining maximum sustained winds of 30 mph. The NHC said that the storm, which was located 230 miles east-southeast of the Caribbean, would continue to slowly drift west and weaken over the next few days.

African coastal system

The disturbance several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands off Africas west coast could become a tropical depression this weekend as it moves west-northwest to northwest across the central tropical Atlantic.

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, it had a 10% chance of developing within 48 hours and 40% within seven days, down slightly from previous forecasts.

Remnant Emily

The former Tropical Storm Emily was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Monday morning. Emilys remnants were over the central tropical Atlantic on Tuesday night, creating a large area of thunderstorms. Forecasters said conditions are expected to become more favorable for development in the next few days, and it could become a tropical depression or storm again later this week or over the weekend as it moves northward.

As of 8 p.m., it is had a 30% chance of developing in the next 48 hours and a 50% chance in the next seven days.

None of the systems is currently expected to reach South Florida, said National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto, though such forecasts can change.

At this time were not seeing any signs that any of these are going to be able to make it all the way to us, Rizzuto said.

The National Hurricane Center has been predicting an above-normal 2023 hurricane season as a result of ongoing record-breaking sea surface temperatures that continue to fight off the tempering effects of El Nio.

While sea surface temperatures have remained hot for longer than anticipated, El Nios effects, which typically reduce hurricane chances, have emerged more slowly.

The next named storm to form would be Idalia.

The NHC, which operates under the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, has forecast 14-21 named storms, including 6-11 hurricanes, and two to five major hurricanes.

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Tropical Storm Franklin to bring possible life-threatening flooding to Caribbean - Yahoo News