08-26-2010, 06:24 PM
Danielle should be a Cat 3 tonight. Earl may be trouble much later. and there's another one behind Earl. it IS peak season.
Tropical Storm Earl now is forecast to become a major hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and curve about 500 miles east of the southern Bahamas by next Tuesday.
The latest projected path has shifted slightly to the west, putting the storm closer to the U.S. coastline, generally toward the Carolinas.
Whether the system turns north out to sea will depend on whether it finds its way around an area of high pressure to its north, forecasters said.
At 5 p.m. Thursday, Earl was in the Central Atlantic about 1,620 miles east of the Leeward Islands, moving west at 18 mph with sustained winds of 45 mph. It is expect to strengthen into a hurricane within the next two days.
Hurricane Danielle, meanwhile, continues to strengthen and is on the verge of becoming a major system.
At 5 p.m. Thursday, Danielle was 680 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving northwest at 15 mph with sustained winds of 110 mph, just shy of Category 3 status.
Its sustained winds are forecast to intensify to 120 mph as it approaches the small island nation on Sunday. The projected path would take the storm about 200 east of Bermuda, precariously close.
Tropical Storm Earl now is forecast to become a major hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and curve about 500 miles east of the southern Bahamas by next Tuesday.
The latest projected path has shifted slightly to the west, putting the storm closer to the U.S. coastline, generally toward the Carolinas.
Whether the system turns north out to sea will depend on whether it finds its way around an area of high pressure to its north, forecasters said.
At 5 p.m. Thursday, Earl was in the Central Atlantic about 1,620 miles east of the Leeward Islands, moving west at 18 mph with sustained winds of 45 mph. It is expect to strengthen into a hurricane within the next two days.
Hurricane Danielle, meanwhile, continues to strengthen and is on the verge of becoming a major system.
At 5 p.m. Thursday, Danielle was 680 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving northwest at 15 mph with sustained winds of 110 mph, just shy of Category 3 status.
Its sustained winds are forecast to intensify to 120 mph as it approaches the small island nation on Sunday. The projected path would take the storm about 200 east of Bermuda, precariously close.