The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was fizzling out on May 21 over the western Atlantic, far from any shore.
The National Hurricane Center said Subtropical Storm Andrea was about 280 miles (450 kilometers) west-southwest of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds dropping to about 35 mph (55 kph). As of 11 a.m., it was moving northward at 8 mph (13 kph) and turning northeastward.
Subtropical Storm #Andrea has formed over the western Atlantic. While some slight strengthening is possible tonight, the system is forecast to dissipate by Wednesday while it moves to the southwest or south of Bermuda. More info at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/d6hKaD8nGD
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) May 20, 2019
The Miami-based center said people in Bermuda should monitor the storm’s progress.
But it says “Andrea is expected to degenerate into a remnant low” pressure system without posing a hazard to land.
According to AccuWeather’s Dan Kottlowski, despite the fact that the storm was given a name, it doesn’t have much strength.
“This is going to be a very short-lived storm,” Kottlowski said on the website. “It probably will not survive past Tuesday night and will definitely be moving away from Bermuda by then.”
He said that in Bermuda, there may be gusty winds and heavy rainfall—albeit briefly. However, it won’t be a major problem for the country.
“They have worse winter storms than this will be,” he added.
The hurricane expert said it’s not wise to think it’s a bad omen that Andrea’s formation two weeks before the season officially starts.
“Early-season development like this does not portend what the rest of the hurricane season will bring, especially since this is a weak storm,” Kottlowski stated.
AccuWeather noted that it’s the fifth year in a row that a named system has formed before the official start date.
The next tropical storm that develops in the Atlantic will be named Barry.
Other names include Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy, said the NHC.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release its initial outlook for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season on May 23.
Early Forecasts
AccuWeather recently released its forecast for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.
Just released: Our 2019 Atlantic #hurricane season outlook, including the potential impact of #ElNiño and all the key caveats. https://t.co/iAYLnTWRIM pic.twitter.com/DrNk8KWq70
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) May 6, 2019
The weather forecasting agency said it is forecasting between 12 and 14 tropical storms and hurricanes for the season, which is “near- to slightly above-normal.”
“Of those storms, five to seven are forecast to become hurricanes and two to four are forecast to become major hurricanes,” AccuWeather said.
Last year, the United States was hammered by several tropical storms and hurricanes, including Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence. Michael recently was upgraded to a Category 5 after the National Weather Service analyzed it.
The Weather Channel, meanwhile, released its own forecast, saying there will be 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes for the 2019 seasons.
It noted that it is slightly above the yearly average of 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
“There is no strong correlation between the number of storms or hurricanes and United States landfalls in any given season. One or more of the 14 named storms predicted to develop this season could hit the U.S., or none could at all. That’s why residents of the coastal United States should prepare each year no matter the forecast,” the outlet wrote.
Highlighting the unpredictability of the storms, “The 1992 season produced only six named storms and one subtropical storm. However, one of those named storms was Hurricane Andrew, which devastated South Florida as a Category 5 hurricane,” the channel noted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
