The first hurricane of the season spun up as Hurricane Don took shape in the Atlantic while the chance for a new tropical depression or storm from a Caribbean-bound system remains, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 5 p.m., what has been an up-and-down-and-up-again life cycle for Don soldiered in a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph sustained winds and higher gusts.
It’s located about 480 miles south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland moving north at 12 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend out 15 miles with tropical-storm-force winds extend out 70 miles.
The system which began as Subtropical Storm Don more than a week ago remains no threat to land, as it has since lost power to become Subtropical Depression Don, then found warmer waters to become Tropical Depression Don, and has since been gaining strength as Tropical Storm Don until Sunday evening. It’s expected to make a northeast turn and lose strength as it moves into cooler waters, becoming a post-tropical cyclone by Sunday night.
As for the season’s next potential storm, it could form farther south.
In its 8 p.m. tropical advisory, the NHC said that the small area of low pressure located about halfway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles had become a little less organized since Friday.
“Environmental conditions are forecast to remain marginally conducive for some gradual development, and this system could become a tropical depression early next week while it moves westward across the tropical Atlantic,” forecasters said.
The NHC has dialed back the odds of it forming to 40% in the next two days and 50% in the next seven. It had been 50% and 70% in earlier outlooks.
If it were to become a named system, it would become Tropical Storm Emily.
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.
