Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings were issued for parts of the Bahamas on Friday afternoon because of a storm developing near the western end of Cuba. The U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the developing storm as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.
At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was located at latitude 20.9°N and longitude 74.6°W which put the center about 55 miles (90 km) north-northwest of the eastern end of Cuba. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was moving toward the northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the Central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.
Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for the Northwestern Bahamas including Eleuthera, New Providence, the Abacos, the Berry Islands and Grand Bahama Island.
A surface low pressure system started to form on Friday afternoon in the northern end of a tropical wave near the eastern tip of Cuba. The circulation around the low pressure system was still in the early stages of organization. More thunderstorms started to develop near the center of the low pressure system. Other thunderstorms started to form into bands that will begin to revolve around the center of circulation.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will move through an environment that will be favorable for the formation of a tropical storm during the next 24 hours. It will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move under the western side of an upper level ridge that is east of the Bahamas. The upper level ridge will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the top of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear, but the wind shear will not be enough to prevent intensification. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is likely to develop into a tropical storm on Saturday.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will move around the western side of a high pressure system that is east of the Bahamas. The high pressure system will steer Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine toward the north during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will move across the Central Bahamas on Saturday night. It will move across the Northwestern Bahamas on Sunday.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will bring strengthening winds and locally heavy rain to the Central Bahamas and to the Northwestern Bahamas.
Elsewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Humberto rapidly intensified to a major hurricane northeast of the Leeward Islands and former Hurricane Gabrielle sped east of the Azores.
At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Humberto was located at latitude 22.3°N and longitude 58.1°W which put the center about 430 miles (690 km) northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. Humberto was moving toward the west-northwest at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (215 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 962 mb.
At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of former Hurricane Gabrielle was located at latitude 40.0°N and longitude 22.8°W which put the center about 245 miles (395 km) east-northeast of Lajes Air Base, the Azores. Gabrielle was moving toward the east-northeast at 31 m.p.h. (50 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 992 mb.
