Atlantic Storm Jerry expected to become hurricane soon
Tropical Storm Jerry is currently struggling as it moves across the Atlantic, but the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that the storm remains on track to strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days.
The NHC says Jerry is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph. A turn toward the northwest is expected later today, followed by a slightly slower northward motion on Friday and Saturday, News.Az reports, citing US media.
On the forecast track, the center of Jerry is expected to pass near or to the northeast of the northern Leeward Islands later today and tonight.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts, and topical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles, mainly to the east of the center.
The storm's estimated minimum central pressure is 999 mb.
Although the struggling storm is being impacted by moderate to strong wind shear, preventing it from strengthening at a faster rate, forecasters still say gradual strengthening of the storm is forecast during the next few days, and Jerry could become a hurricane by late Friday or Saturday.
The NHC said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Hurricane Hunters will fly into the tropical storm to investigate on Thursday.
Tropical storm conditions are possible in portions of the Northern Leeward Islands within the watch area later today into Friday. Heavy rain, flash flooding, large swells, and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are expected in the area.
Meanwhile, the NHC is tracking Invest 96L, a gale-force non-tropical area of low pressure in the North Atlantic. The system is located several hundred miles to the west-northwest of the Azores, which is producing limited shower activity near its center.
Some subtropical or tropical development of this system is possible over the next day or two before it moves over even cooler waters and into a stronger shear environment.
The system currently only has a 10% chance of formation over the next 48 hours and week.
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