An alert just released from the National Hurricane Center advises that Tropical Storm Marco is rapidly intensifying and expected to reach hurricane status later today.
Tropical Storm #Marco Advisory 9: Marco Strengthening Quickly. Forecast to Become a Hurricane Later Today. August 22, 2020
The first system to watch is Tropical Storm Laura, which is currently over Puerto Rico. This system is expected to move northwest in the coming days and head toward Hispaniola and Cuba, according to CNN.
At the 8 a.m. ET advisory, the National Hurricane Center places Laura 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Juan, Puerto Rico moving to the west at 21 mph (33 kph). Sustained winds are near 40 mph (64 kph) with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected over the next few days.
⛈️Mitad este de PR siente primeras bandas de lluiva de #Laura, mientras el oeste por el momento tranquilo. Lluvia y tronadas en camino.
⛈️Eastern half of PR has felt Laura's 1st rainbands, while western PR still fairly tranquil. Showers and thunderstorms on their way.#prwx pic.twitter.com/1wAj2Ez9j3
— NWS San Juan (@NWSSanJuan) August 22, 2020
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km) mainly to the north of the center. The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 1006 mb (29.71 inches).
On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near Puerto Rico this morning, near or over Hispaniola this afternoon and tonight, and near or over eastern Cuba Sunday and Sunday night. Laura is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rain over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, the southern Haitian Peninsula and eastern Cuba through Sunday. There could be isolated amounts of up to 8 inches in some areas.
Tropical storm conditions are forecast to last through Sunday in the warning areas and swells produced by Laura are forecast to spread across the northern coasts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, and much of the Bahamas during the next few days.
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez declared a state of emergency and warned that flooding could be worse than what Tropical Storm Isaias unleashed three weeks ago because the ground is now saturated, reports the Associated Press. “No one should be out on the streets,” she said.
Tropical Storm Marco
Tropical Storm Marco is just east of the Yucatan Peninsula. This system is expected to move across the peninsula as it dumps several inches of rain before continuing north toward the US.
#Laura Waking up this AM to strong wind, pelting rain and… #tropicalstorm surfing birds. St Maarten pic.twitter.com/5bno2fQQg6
— Crush2525 (@Crush255) August 22, 2020
At the 8 a.m. advisory from the NHC, Marco was situated about 110 miles (180 kilometers) east of Cozumel, Mexico. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) with higher gusts and is moving to the north-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). The minimum central pressure is 1002 mb (29.59 inches).
On the forecast track, a northwestward motion is expected on Sunday, followed by a turn toward the northwest and west-northwest early next week. The center of Marco will approach the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico today. The center will approach the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula by early evening.
Marco will then move over the central Gulf of Mexico toward the northwestern Gulf on Sunday and Monday followed by a track toward the northwestern Gulf coast Tuesday.
#Laura becomes the 12th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and earliest such storm in the official record. 2020 has now set “earliest storm formation” records for 9 of its 12 events (75%), and it is inevitable that it will be 10 of 13 very soon. pic.twitter.com/BEE5t7qZ3m
— Steve Bowen (@SteveBowenWx) August 21, 2020
The NHC expects both storms to stay far enough apart to prevent direct interaction as the region braces for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is forecast to be unusually active. “Near the end of the period, [tropical storm] Marco’s track and intensity could be influenced by Tropical Storm Laura, which is also forecast to be over the Gulf of Mexico,” the NHC said.
And the NHC reminds us that we are still weeks away from the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season.
