JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Everyone's attention has been focused on Florence, but the statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane is certainly living up to its reputation this year. Besides Florence, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring four other systems currently.
Tropical Storm Issac
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Isaac is the only system that bears monitoring over the next few days from the East Coast of the US's standpoint. It is not very well organized and has crossed the Lesser Antilles. Isaac is expected to trudge westward, pushing past and well south of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. As it pushed past and south of Cuba it is forecasted to weaken further, into a Tropical Depression. We will keep an eye on it for the isolated chance it curves northward and enters the Gulf.
Area of possible development in the Gulf
Numerous showers and thunderstorms continue in association with an elongated low pressure area located near the coasts of Texas and northeastern Mexico. While development into a tropical depression is not expected since the system is almost onshore, heavy rainfall and gusty winds are likely across portions of northeastern Mexico and Texas through Saturday. The NHC only places a 10% chance for this system to become more organized.
Tropical Storm Helene
We started tracking Helene as it pushed off of the coastline of Africa and intensified. Helene will end up dying out over the open Atlantic, with no chance to push towards the U.S. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 12 hours as Helene remains over warm sea surface temperatures. Beyond that brief period, the cyclone should weaken a bit as it completes extratropical transition while passing just to the northwest of the Azores Islands and traversing much cooler waters.
Joyce
Tropical Storm Joyce formed late on Thursday and is never expected to affect land. Convection associated with Joyce has increased since the last advisory, with a vigorous band now near the center in the northern semicircle. The storm is starting its forecast turn toward the east and the
initial motion is now 125/5. As Tropical Storm Helene to the east-northeast of Joyce moves away, Joyce is expected to turn northeastward with an increase in forward speed during the next 24 h, followed by an eastward turn after 48 h.