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Earl threatens hurricane status as Danielle weakens
MIAMI
Petroleumworld.com, Aug 30, 2010Tropical Storm Earl barreled towards the eastern fringe of the Caribbean Saturday, threatening to gain hurricane status, as Hurricane Danielle weakened far from land in the Atlantic.
At 1800 GMT, Earl was a little weaker, packing sustained winds of 55 miles (90 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, warning Earl could become a hurricane as early as Sunday afternoon.
The eye of the storm was located about 660 miles (1,060 km) east of the Northern Leeward Islands -- which it was expected to approach on Sunday -- heading west at 23 miles (37 km) per hour.
A tropical storm watch was already in effect for several eastern Caribbean islands including Saint Martin, Antigua, Barbuda and Montserrat.
Earl was forecast to make a turn to the west-northwest and decrease somewhat in forward speed over the next couple of days, the NHC said.
Meanwhile, east of Bermuda, Hurricane Danielle weakened to a Category Two storm and headed north-northeast, far from land, forecasters said. It was expected to pass well east of Bermuda later Saturday.
The weather system was still producing sustained winds of 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour, the NHC said, adding that "little change in strength is forecast during the next 12 to 24 hours, and gradual weakening is expected to commence on Sunday."
Danielle was a Category Four storm on Friday, but its passage has tracked far away from land. Still, the NHC warned that tropical storm-force winds could hit Bermuda later Saturday, with ripple effects on the US east coast.
"Large waves and dangerous surf conditions will affect Bermuda over the next few days," the Center added.
"Swells from Danielle will begin to arrive on the east coast of the United States later today. These swells are likely to cause dangerous rip currents through the weekend."
Forecasters were also closely watching a low pressure system "associated with a vigorous tropical wave" that was located about 350 miles (560 km) west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde islands and could likely form a tropical depression later Saturday or Sunday.
Forecasters said there was an 80 percent chance the system would form a tropical cyclone by Monday afternoon.
Story from AFP
AFP 08/28/2010 21:38
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