Following a brief lull in tropical weather across the Atlantic Basin, several areas of interest developed this past weekend, including the season’s newest named storms.
Tropical Storm Kirk developed on Saturday morning. It formed at 8.3 degrees north latitude, making it the lowest latitude at which an Atlantic named storm has formed since 1902. Kirk weakened into a tropical depression late Sunday evening but is expected to regain tropical storm status on Monday.
“Kirk is moving through an environment of warm water and within an area of relatively low shear,” AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.
Kirk is moving through an area of relatively dry air, which will limit opportunities for intensification, according to Kottlowski.
“Kirk will not be a threat to land during the next few days,” Kottlowski said. This will give those potentially in its track plenty of time to prepare.
The first areas to feel the impacts of Kirk will likely be the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean. Swells churned up by the storm could be noticeable on eastern-facing shores by midweek.
RELATED:
AccuWeather Hurricane Center
‘There is still more of hurricane season to go’: Expert warns another tropical threat may make US landfall
Don’t wait until it’s too late: 5 expert tips for getting your finances in order before a natural disaster strikes
“It could threaten parts of the Windward Islands with strong to perhaps damaging winds and heavy rainfall by Thursday or Friday,” Kottlowski warned.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Subtropical Storm Leslie formed on Sunday morning between Bermuda and the Azores but was downgraded to a subtropical depression late Sunday evening.
Leslie is expected to slowly drift eastward over the next 24-48 hours while it maintains its status as a tropical depression.
No impacts to land are expected during this time, and Leslie will likely dissipate over the open waters of the Atlantic by midweek.
Another tropical concern may be responsible for the first wet weather in the Carolinas since Florence, which would exacerbate the already extreme flood conditions across the region.
Download the free AccuWeather App for the latest updates on tropical weather.
.jpg){kind=tracking}