Earl threatens as Danielle weakens
2010-08-28 17:28
Miami - Tropical Storm Earl barrelled towards the eastern fringe of the Caribbean on Saturday, threatening to gain hurricane status, as Category Two storm Danielle weakened far from land in the Atlantic.
At 12:00 GMT, Earl was 1290km east of the Northern Leeward Islands, and headed west-northwest at around 33km/hr, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said.
The storm was packing sustained winds of 95km/h, with higher gusts, the Centre said, warning Earl could become a hurricane by Saturday night or Sunday.
A tropical storm watch was already in effect for Saint Martin, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St Kitts, Anguilla and several other eastern Caribbean islands.
Meanwhile, east of Bermuda, Hurricane Danielle weakened to a Category Two storm and headed north-northeast, far from land, forecasters said.
The weather system was still producing sustained winds of 175km/h, the NHC said, but "little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours, and gradual weakening is expected to begin on Sunday night".
Rip currents
Danielle was a Category Four storm on Friday, but its passage has tracked far away from land. Still, the NHC warned that tropical storm-force winds could hit Bermuda later on Saturday and that Danielle would produce dangerous waves.
"Swells from Danielle will begin to arrive on the east coast of the United States later today. These swells are likely to cause dangerous rip currents through the weekend."
Forecasters were also closely watching a low pressure system "associated with a vigorous tropical wave" that was located about 400km southwest of the Cape Verde islands.
"Although this system has changed little in organisation during the last several hours, environmental conditions remain favourable for a tropical depression to form during the next couple of days," the Centre said.
Forecasters said there was an 80% chance the system would form a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours.