Tropical Storm Danielle Continues to Strengthen in Atlantic

On Saturday morning the National Hurricane Center in Miami issued its first bulletin on “Tropical depression Six.” By Monday morning the depression had morphed into Danielle the fourth named storm of the current season, and the NHC warned that it “is likely to become a hurricane within the next 24 hours.”

Danielle is also the first storm of the season to form off the coast of West Africa, near the Cape Verde Islands, the historic breeding ground of the Atlantic Ocean’s most powerful and destructive hurricanes.

As of 5:00 a.m. AST, the center of tropical storm Danielle was well out in the mid Atlantic. The NHC said the storm is “moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph, 22 km/hr, and this general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected to continue through Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph, 95 km/hr, with higher gusts. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles, 140 kms, from the center.”

On the NHC’s projected 5-day track, the storm would be approaching Bermuda by next Saturday. If it continues on the same track, which is problematic at this point, it could threaten the northeastern U.S.

Source: National Hurricane Center