Photo: The Weather ChannelA tropical storm warning remains in effect this morning as Hurricane Teddy grows closer to Bermuda, packing 120 mph winds.
Teddy dropped down from Category 4 to Category 3 on Saturday morning but remains the second major hurricane of the year.
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor several storms across the Atlantic basin including Hurricane Teddy, and Tropical Storms Beta and Wilfred.
At the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS), forecasters say: “High pressure responsible for settled weather will erode with deteriorating conditions today as Hurricane Teddy approaches from the southeast and merges with a front descending from the northwest.
“Breezy conditions become increasingly windy with outbreaks of rain, showers, and the development of hazardous surf and swells.
“Winds greater than 35 knots are expected to continue behind the front in the northwest flow into Tuesday dawn.”
As of 5:30am today, tropical storm conditions to affect Bermuda or the local marine area out to 25 nm within 36 hours or less, include “possible sustained winds within the range 34-63 knots (63-117 km/h) (39-73 mph)”.
The storm is moving northwest at 13 mph and is due to approach Bermuda today with the centre expected too pass just east of the island Monday morning, according to the NHC.
Photo: The Weather Channel“Hurricane-force winds extend 60 miles from Teddy’s center and its tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles.”
“Tropical storm conditions are expected to affect Bermuda beginning Sunday evening and could linger into Monday night,” the NHC said.
“A more pronounced decrease in Teddy’s maximum winds is forecast to begin early next week.”
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Beta, named using the Greek alphabet after Wilfred took up the last name in the “2020 hurricane season list,” has been stationary in the Gulf Coast for the past several hours, according to the NHC’s latest report.
As of 8pm Saturday, TS Beta was located 330 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and 245 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles, La. with sustained winds of 60 mph.
The NHC issued numerous Storm Surge Warnings in effect for coastal parts of Texas such as Port Aransas to High Island, Texas—including Copano Bay, Aransas Bay, San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Galveston Bay.
8pm forecast graphic of TS Beta for Saturday, September 19, 2020. (National Hurricane Center)
“A westward drift is expected tonight, followed by a slow motion toward the west-northwest that should continue through late Monday,” forecasters said. “On the forecast track, the center of Beta will slowly approach the Texas coast Sunday and Monday.”
The NHC projects Beta to grow at or near hurricane strength over the weekend. The agency issued a Hurricane Watch for the area from Port Aransas to High Island, Texas since Friday night alongside Tropical Storm Warning from Port Aransas, Texas to Intracoastal City, LA. in its Saturday morning advisory.
Beta currently has tropical-storm-force winds extending out 175 miles. Increasing swells will affect the Texas and Mexico Gulf Coast over the weekend.
Beta formed out of Tropical Depression 22 on Friday.
Tropical Storm Wilfred
Tropical Storm Wilfred, which formed Friday morning in the east Atlantic, poses no threat to land and forecasters have noted little change in strength as it continues moving west.
As of 5 p.m. Saturday, Wilfred was located about 1025 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph heading west-northwest at 14 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from its center.
Forecasters expect little change in Wilfred’s intensity over the next few days. It’s expected to weaken on Monday, and possibly dissipate by Tuesday.
NHC forecasters say the storm is poorly organized, nicknaming the system “Tiny Wilfred” in its latest 5 p.m. advisory.
The rest of the tropics are still showing signs of activity.
Post-Tropical Cyclone Paulette is located a few hundred miles south of the Azores and producing a few showers as of 8 p.m. Saturday. It may develop once more into a tropical system.
“This system is drifting southward over marginally warm waters and is expected to begin moving eastward in a couple of days,” NHC forecaster Richard Pasch said. “The cyclone could develop tropical or subtropical characteristics by early next week.”
A previous tropical wave was set to move off the west coast of Africa over the next few days. However, the NHC no longer detected the tropical wave development based on its 8 p.m. advisory on Saturday night.
