ORLANDO, Fla. — What had been Hurricane Idalia was continued its assault as a post-tropical system on Bermuda on Saturday while the hurricane season got its 11th named storm with the formation of Tropical Storm Katia. But the National Hurricane Center also upped the odds for what could be the 12th named storm expected to head toward the Caribbean this week.
Meanwhile, the busy bunch of storms in the Atlantic near Bermuda shifted overnight with Tropical Storm Jose getting absorbed into the system that had been Hurricane Franklin, but both have now moved north as extra-tropical and no threat to land.
Tiny Tropical Storm Gert was also still hanging on, but only Post-Tropical Cyclone Idalia was a threat to land on Saturday with Bermuda remaining under a tropical storm warning.
At 2 p.m. Idalia was located 95 miles east-southeast of Bermuda moving east at 8 mph with 60 mph winds. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out 205 miles and the NHC reported the island was seeing gusts up to 79 mph on Saturday morning, but diminished after noon.
“This general motion is expected to continue through the day. A faster northeastward motion is forecast to begin on Sunday, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast and north on Monday and Tuesday,” forecasters said. “On the forecast track, Idalia will remain near Bermuda today, and then begin to move away from the island tonight and Sunday.”
The storm hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 major hurricane on Wednesday morning, then quickly moved into Georgia and the Carolinas keeping its hurricane strength for more than six hours.
It transitioned away from tropical characteristics without a defined center but still strong winds after it moved into the Atlantic and the NHC said it could reform as a subtropical storm later Saturday.
Its swells remain a threat on the U.S. coast and Bermuda as well, likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the NHC said.
As for the new storm, at 11 a.m., Tropical Storm Katia, which is expected to be short-lived, was located 660 miles north-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands moving north-northwest at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out 115 miles.
“A turn to the northwest is expected today, and this general motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through Monday,” forecasters said. “Weakening is expected to begin by early Sunday, and the system could degenerate into a remnant low on Monday.”
Tropical Storm Gert has remained resilient but is not moving much, and is expected to be absorbed by the larger Idalia on Monday.
At 11 a.m., the storm was located about 710 miles east-southeast of Bermuda moving north-northeast at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Its tropical-storm-force winds extend out 45 miles.
“A faster northward to north-northeast motion is expected to begin today and continue into Monday,” forecasters said. “Little change in strength is expected before Gert is forecast to open up into a trough of low pressure on Monday.”
Of biggest concern is a new potential tropical system expected to form from a tropical wave coming off the west coast of Africa.
In its 2 p.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said the system was producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm south-southeast of the Cape Verde islands.
“Environmental conditions appear conducive for some gradual development of this system by the middle part of next week, and a tropical depression is likely to form while
it moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph over the eastern and central portions of the tropical Atlantic,” the NHC said.
Its path shows it potentially hitting the Leeward Islands by next weekend.
The NHC gives it a 20% chance to form in the next two days and 70% chance in the next seven.
If it were to gain named-storm status, it could become Tropical Storm Lee.