Tropical Storm Earl formed late Friday east of the North Leeward Islands, making it the fifth named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm was expected to bring winds of up to 40 mph and two to four inches of rain over the weekend in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Some areas can get up to 6 inches of rain.
The storm, which could bring gusts and flooding, was about 185 miles (about 185 miles) east of the North Leeward Islands and was moving west-northwest at 14 miles per hour, forecasters said.
A storm is named when wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour or more.
Earl’s formation comes after the relatively quiet start of the Atlantic hurricane season, with only four other named storms. For the first time since 1997, there were no named storms in the Atlantic in August.
Tropical Storm Alex, which formed on June 5, was the first named storm expected to result in an “above-normal” hurricane season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If that prediction comes true, 2022 will be his seventh consecutive above-average season.
Tropical Storm Bonnie followed in early July. After landing in Nicaragua, it made a rare dive into the Pacific Ocean. That same week, Tropical Storm Collin formed off the coast of South Carolina, bringing wet weather to the area over the 4th of July holiday weekend. A relatively calm week followed.
The fourth named storm, Daniel, was upgraded to a hurricane a day after being named Thursday.
In early August, NOAA scientists released updated forecasts for the remainder of the season, which still called for higher than normal levels of activity. In it, they predicted that the season running through November 30 would see 14 to 20 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could transform into hurricanes sustaining winds of 74 mph or more. did. Three to five of them could intensify into what NOAA calls major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher), with winds of at least 111 mph.
Last year saw 21 named storms, following a record 30 in 2020. Over the past two years, meteorologists have exhausted the list of names used to identify storms during the Atlantic hurricane season. ,Year 2005.
The link between hurricanes and climate change has become clearer with each passing year. Data show that hurricanes have gotten stronger around the world over the last 40 years. On a warming planet, hurricanes are expected to intensify over time, increasing the incidence of the most powerful storms, although the total number of storms is likely to decrease.
Hurricanes are also more humid due to more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere. Scientists suggest that storms like 2017’s Hurricane Harvey brought far more rain than would have been possible without human influence on the climate. Rising sea levels also contribute to an increase in storm surges, the most destructive component of tropical cyclones.
McKenna Oxenden When Vimal Patel contributed to the report.