Miami, Sep 25 (BNO NEWS): Tropical Storm Philippe formed in the far eastern Atlantic on Saturday afternoon, forecasters said, but there is no immediate threat to land. The storm is expected to soon become a hurricane.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) have been following the weather system since Friday morning when it emerged as a broad low pressure system about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands. It quickly became better organized during the weekend.
As of 11 p.m. AST on Saturday (0300 GMT Sunday), the center of Philippe was located about 370 miles (595 kilometers) southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. It is moving toward the west-northwest at about 13 miles (20 kilometers) per hour.
"Philippe is located on the southern periphery of a weak mid-level ridge, and that ridge is expected to shift eastward and strengthen near the African coast in the coming days as a deep trough digs over the central Atlantic," said NHC hurricane specialist Robbie Berg. "Therefore, the motion of the cyclone [..] is forecast to turn northwestward and slow down as Philippe moves between these two synoptic features."
Philippe's maximum sustained winds are near 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast on Sunday and Monday which could see Philippe become a category one hurricane for a day or so before it starts to weaken later next week.
"The forecast track of Philippe never really takes the cyclone over significantly warmer waters, and the underlying ocean should definitely be cooler after about 48 hours," Berg explained. "In addition, Philippe should be moving out of an environment of light upper-level winds into an area of stronger southwesterly shear in about three days. Therefore, strengthening is expected mainly during the next 48 hours with some weakening possible by days 4 and 5."
Philippe is expected to stay far away from land during the next week or so and the system will likely dissipate before it reaches any land.
Philippe is the sixteenth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Ophelia which formed over the central Atlantic on Tuesday and remains active near the Caribbean.
According to figures released last month, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is expecting an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The outlook calls for 14 to 19 named storms, with seven to ten becoming hurricanes and three to five expected to become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher).
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity in September.