TD8 STRENGTHENS TO TROPICAL STORM HANNA… TD8 has strengthened into Tropical Storm Hanna as of 10PM Thursday evening. Maximum sustained winds are now up to 40 mph, making the 8th named tropical storm of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We note that this is the earliest “H” named storm on record in the Atlantic basin shattering the previously held “H” record (Harvey in 2005) by almost two weeks. Tropical Storm Hanna will move toward Texas this weekend. The system is expected to be a strengthening tropical storm at landfall with maximum winds of near 55-60 mph. A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect from the Mouth of the Rio Grande River (U.S. and Mexico border) to San Luis Pass, Texas.
Our local beaches in south Alabama and northwest Florida will continue to have high waves and dangerous rip currents because of Tropical Storm Hanna, but local land impacts are NOT expected. We’ll have another round of classic summer showers and thunderstorms on Friday.
GONZALO MOVING TOWARD THE ANTILLES… Tropical Storm Gonzalo is holding its 60 mph strength this evening as it approaches the southernmost of the Windward Islands. A Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Watch continues for several of the southern Lesser Antilles. The good news is complete dissipation of Gonzalo is now forecast in about 4-5 days when the system encounters extremely harsh conditions in the central Caribbean. Good news! We’ll talk more in detail about this expected process in the morning video. Be sure to join me on Friday morning around 7:15AM for the very latest.
30% CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT IN EASTERN ATLANTIC… The National Hurricane Center has outlined another, distinct tropical wave emerging from Africa that now has a 30% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the central Atlantic early next week. Some global models show this system potentially becoming a hurricane toward the end of next week as it moves near or just north of the northernmost of the Lesser Antilles.
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I will have your next detailed forecast video and discussion posted by 7:15AM on Friday. See you in the morning!