WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed on Wednesday, after nearly three weeks without a named system in the Atlantic basin during the typical peak of hurricane season.
The system is located in the central Atlantic, around 750 miles east of the Leeward Islands, with sustained winds of 50 mph. The latest movement is west-northwest at about 15 mph.
At this time, it poses no threat to Florida or the U.S. East Coast as forecasters expect a gradual turn away from the U.S. and toward the northwest late this weekend.
Currently, the storm is encountering wind shear and dry air, resulting in the system struggling to hold together in the short term. However, by the weekend, conditions are forecast to become more favorable for strengthening, and the National Hurricane Center expects the system could reach hurricane strength by early next week.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Another system far east into the Atlantic currently has a 20% chance of developing within the next seven days. There is plenty of time to track this storm, and it is too early to tell where it will go.
WPTV will continue to track this system and bring you the latest updates on air, online, and inside our free WPTV Weather app.
