Tropical Storm Danielle Forms in North-Central Atlantic

Posted: September 1, 2022 6:32 pm

Quiet August Gives Way to First Tropical Storm in Nearly Two Months

The drought in the tropics is officially over. After going nearly two months without seeing any named storms, Tropical Storm Danielle formed early Thursday morning over the north-central Atlantic. In addition to the newly formed Danielle, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are predicting that more than one tropical feature will take root in the coming days as the basin nears its peak of activity.

Tropical Storm Danielle Details

It has been a quiet August but it appears as things are heating up in the Atlantic. As of mid-day Thursday, Danielle was churning approximately 950 miles west of the Azores. The storm is tracking to the east with maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph. Forecasters are predicting that Danielle will spin around in the open waters of the Atlantic for the next few days before it finds the environmental conditions that it needs to strengthen.

In fact, hurricane experts are predicting that Danielle will find the intensification that it needs to become the first hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic season. The current forecast has the storm reaching hurricane strength by Saturday morning as it moves into warmer waters and encounters lighter wind shear.

The latest tracking models show Danielle traveling in a loop over the North Atlantic through the duration of the weekend, staying largely in place as it circles. The feature is not forecast to threaten any major land masses. The storm is predicted to move to the northeast by the middle of next week. Here it will encounter cooler water temperatures, likely causing it to weaken and lose wind strength.

Additional Tropical Features to Monitor

Danielle is not the only feature of interest in the Atlantic Basin this weekend. Meteorologists are also keeping an eye on a tropical wave that is forecast to move toward the Leeward Islands in the coming days. This feature will take the name of Earl if it strengthens into a tropical storm.

Although this particular feature has a solid chance of further development over the next five days, the current wind shear surrounding the zone may hinder its intensification. The path of this feature depends on how quickly it organizes and strengthens. If it continues to intensify, it is forecast to move to the north on a path that may take it near Bermuda. Conversely, if the system is not able to organize, it would likely move more toward the west on a crash course with the Bahamas by the middle of next week.

Forecasters are also monitoring the formation of two strong waves coming off the coast of Africa in the coming days.

It was a record-breaking August for the Atlantic Basin. With the change of the calendar to September, August 2022 marked the first time in 25 years that there were no named tropical systems in the Atlantic. Prior to Danielle’s formation to start the month of September, the last tropical storm in this corner of the world was Tropical Storm Colin at the beginning of July.

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