New storm could
form in day or so
PHILIPSBURG--Tropical Depression #8 could strengthen into Tropical Storm Hélène in the Atlantic Ocean over the next 24 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Wednesday.
Although it is still too soon to say whether the storm will ultimately reach land, all of the major weather models, including the NHC model, forecast it will not make landfall within the next five days.
The NHC forecast the depression would strengthen into a tropical storm (winds of 39-73 miles or 63-117 kilometres per hour) within 24 hours and a Category 1 hurricane (winds of 74-95mph or 119-153kph) within four days.
The depression, which is packing maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (56kph), remains poorly organised over the far eastern Atlantic about 255 miles (410km) southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.
The NHC, meanwhile, expected Hurricanes Florence and Gordon to remain away from land over the next five days. Florence, which was about 600 miles (966 km) southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, yesterday, is becoming extra-tropical, while Gordon has remained over the open waters of the Atlantic and was about 605 miles (974km) north-northeast of the Windward Islands.
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