Tropical Storm Jose formed early Thursday in the central Atlantic from what was Tropical Depression 11 as activity in the tropics was teeming Hurricane Franklin, Tropical Storm Idalia and another potential tropical depression.
As of 5 a.m. Thursday, Jose was 785 east-southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving north at 5 mph. Jose is expected to stick around a few days before being absorbed by what is currently Hurricane Frankin, according to the latest from the National Hurricane Center.
Franklin was maintaining as a Category 2 hurricane early Thursday with top winds of 100 mph. As of 5 a.m., it was about 200 miles north-northeast of Bermuda. The hurricane is forecast to slowly weaken and dissipate this week.
A tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic off Africa is likely to become a tropical depression later this week as it moves west-northwest, the National Hurricane Center said. As of 2 a.m. Thursday, its odds of developing increased to 70% in the next two to seven days.
Finally, the remnants of Tropical Storm Gert drifted several hundred miles north of the Leeward Islands. Its chances of regenerating were low, 30% in the next two to seven days.
By early Thursday, the former Hurricane Idalia was a fast-moving tropical storm lashing eastern North Carolina with heavy rain and winds. Its top winds were at 60 mph as of 5 a.m. Thursday as it moved north-northeast at 21 mph. Parts of North Carolina were under a tropical storm warning and a storm surge watch.
Idalia rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm before weakening to a Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday as it made landfall along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend near Keaton Beach about 7:45 a.m. Keaton Beach is along the Apalachee Bay.
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 Niño.
While sea surface temperatures have remained hot for longer than anticipated, El Niño’s effects, which typically reduce hurricane chances, have emerged more slowly.
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.
As of Aug. 31, there have been three hurricanes — Don, Frankin and Idalia, the latter two of which were major hurricanes.
The next named storm to form would be Katia (KAH-tyah).
