St. Martin News Network

Tropical Storm Beryl Forms in the Atlantic East of the Lesser Antilles.

July 5, 2018

MIAMI FLORIDA:—Tropical Storm Beryl has formed over 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. This tiny, new system will encounter wind shear by this weekend, likely ripping it apart.
Beryl could become a hurricane this weekend, well east of the Lesser Antilles. An increase in showers and gusty winds is expected in the Lesser Antilles.
Satellite imagery indicates convection has persisted with enough tenacity and enough evidence of surface low pressure existence that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicated the formation of Tropical Storm Beryl Thursday afternoon.
Warm water temperatures and low wind shear has allowed Beryl to intensify this afternoon. The small size of this tropical storm has also allowed it to quickly develop.
It could make a run at hurricane status on Friday night into Saturday before worsening conditions begin to impact the system.
Upper-level winds will become hostile well before the system approaches the Lesser Antilles this weekend. These shearing winds should weaken this system as it is reaching the Lesser Antilles. Dry air is also plentiful near the system and will likely play some weakening role.
Beryl’s small size makes it more fragile compared to larger systems that can control their environment. This may make Beryl’s collapse more rapid.
Even if the system degenerates into a tropical wave, as forecast, an uptick in shower activity, including some locally heavy rain, and gusty winds are expected in the Lesser Antilles Sunday into Monday.
If this system can maintain strong winds, tropical storm force winds could arrive somewhere in the Leeward or Windward Islands on Sunday morning or afternoon.
A Second Tropical System Near Bermuda
Another system, dubbed Invest 96L, currently centered southwest of Bermuda has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression by the end of this week, according to the NHC.
Regardless if it develops, this area of low pressure will track west-northwest, north and then northeast away from the U.S. coastline into the weekend. A cold front moving off the East Coast by Friday night will be responsible for deflecting this system out to sea.

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