MIAMI — Tropical Storm Humberto formed Wednesday afternoon in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This is the eighth named storm of the hurricane season.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the storm has 40 mph winds and is located about 550 miles east, northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Humberto is moving toward the west, northwest at about 15 mph.
Steady strengthening is forecast during the next several days. Currently, it is forecast to become a Category 2 hurricane by Sunday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.
Hurricane Gabrielle & Invest 94-L
In addition to the newly formed storm, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring Hurricane Gabrielle and one other area for potential development. Gabrielle is still a dangerous hurricane churning in the subtropical Atlantic waters.
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Azores, where hurricane conditions are expected as it passes near or over the islands late Thursday or early Friday. Storm surge will remain a large concern with coastal flooding.
Swells are still reaching the U.S. as the powerful hurricane is generating life-threatening surf and rip currents for the Atlantic coast, north of North Carolina.
The other area we are watching, Invest 94-L, is currently over the northeastern Caribbean. It's producing disorganized showers, storms, and gusty winds across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with conditions spreading into the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night. There's a high chance this system will develop later this week near the Bahamas, where conditions are more favorable.
There's still a lot of uncertainty about how this system will interact with Humberto and nearby weather patterns. Because of that, the long-range forecast remains unclear.
The next name on the list is Imelda.
