A storm slowly making it’s way across the far Atlantic will likely become Tropical Storm Fiona sometime today.
National Hurricane Center forecasters in Miami said at 11 a.m. Wednesday the storm, moving at 15 mph, was still miles away, about 840 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. While it is expected to strengthen slightly over the next two days as it moves over warmer water, forecasters say it’s likely to weaken when it encounters stronger wind shear in about 72 hours.
Models are mixed on which path the storm takes, which would determine how strong it becomes. National Hurricane Center forecasters favor a course more to the south, which would produce a weaker storm.
The storm is moving at about 15 mph with top winds early Wednesday of 35 mph.
The 2016 hurricane season got off to an early start with a rare January storm. Forecasters predicted an average season with 10 to 16 named storms, four to eight hurricanes and one to four major storms packing winds over 110 mph.
But last week they revised projections after the strong El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific, which can help tamp down hurricanes, fizzled. They now expect 12 to 17 named storms and as many as four to eight hurricanes with two to four major hurricanes.
Tropical storm Fiona expected to form Wednesday in the Atlantic.
