Tropical storm warning issued for Bahamas as Atlantic system shows signs of development

By Kat Campbell and Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologists

The chances of a tropical system in the Atlantic Ocean becoming a tropical depression in the coming days is increasing.

The system could become a tropical depression in the next two days. If it develops, it would be Humberto.

On Thursday at 5 p.m., a tropical storm warning was put into effect for the northwestern Bahamas, excluding Andros Island. The system had winds at 30 mph and was moving northwest at 8 mph. It was about 310 miles southeast of Freeport on the Grand Bahama Island.

That’s one of the areas hard hit by Hurricane Dorian. Hurricane hunters flew into the storm Thursday to collect data on the storm for the first time.

According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, on Thursday there was a 50 percent chance that the system would develop into a tropical depression in the next two days. There was a 70 percent chance that it could develop in the next five days.

While it is too early to tell what the system will do, models show two possible paths.

According to Gardner, if the system develops slowly, it is more likely to stay south of the Bahamas, moving west over the Florida Keys into the Gulf of Mexico. This would be better news for the East Coast and the Bahamas.

If the system moves faster, it could be swept northward, following a path similar to Dorian’s. Gardner said the storm could move along the East Coast, potentially impacting North Carolina by next Wednesday.

If the system moves into the Northern Bahamas, it would be a tropical storm, but even that would be devastating after Hurricane Dorian, Gardner said.

“At this point, we don’t be need to concerned, but it is something we are watching closely,” Gardner said. “Keep checking in.”