Bret brought winds, heavy rain and storm surges up to 4.5 meters high to the eastern Caribbean islands, which had braced for possible landslides and flooding after his arrival Thursday night. Cindy is moving northwest at about 20 mph (31 km/h) and is safe.
Tropical Storm Cindy formed behind Tropical Storm Bret. Meteorologists say it’s the first time since records began in 1851 that two storms in the tropical Atlantic coincided in June.
Data released Friday suggests we are witnessing an early and strong start to the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1 and typically has its peak moments between mid-August and mid-October.
Some meteorologists argue that this coincidence was due to unusually high sea temperatures.
“The Atlantic is terribly hot this year,” warned Kerry Emanuel, a weather forecaster at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He added that this is partly due to global warming, natural variability and the ocean’s recovery from sulfate aerosol pollution that cooled it decades ago.
Emanuel emphasized that storms in June are not uncommon throughout the Atlantic – not just in the tropical Atlantic. This has happened 34 times since 1851, including this year, he added.
Cindy is expected to maintain tropical storm status as it heads towards the open seas in the northeastern Caribbean before dissipating early next week.
Meanwhile, Bret brought winds, heavy rain and storm surges up to 4.5 meters high to the eastern Caribbean islands, which had braced for possible mudslides and flooding after his arrival Thursday night.
Also Read: What Precautions Should Be Taken Before the Arrival of a Tropical Storm or Hurricane?
Authorities on the French Caribbean island of Martinique found four people aboard a lifeboat after their catamaran sank during the storm and said they were hospitalized.
Power outages were reported in St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and at least 130 people fled to government shelters as the storm ripped away one home and severely damaged several others, authorities said.
Officials in Barbados said they had received more than a dozen reports of damage across the island, according to the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency.
Bret continued through the central Caribbean late Friday, passing north of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. According to the forecasts, it should resolve on Saturday night.
Tropical Storm Bret
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, “There are no coastguards or warnings in place at this time… The storm surge caused by Bret will affect coastal areas near the central Caribbean Sea today.” These waves can lead to waves.”
life-threatening waves and rapid currents.
At 1100 AST (1500 UTC) was the center of Tropical Storm Cindy
is near 16.4 north latitude and 53.3 west longitude. Cindy is moving northwest at approximately 20 mph (31 km/h) and a slower rate is expected in the coming days. Maximum sustained winds remain at around 60 mph (95 km/h) with stronger gusts. Cindy is expected to weaken over the next few days.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast 12 to 17 named storms for this year’s hurricane season. Of these, between five and nine could reach hurricane strength, including three Category 3 hurricanes or higher.
[Con información de AP y Reuters]
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