SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- A tropical depression formed on Wednesday in the Atlantic and gained organization until becoming Tropical Storm Gordon on Friday.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on its official site that the center of Gordon was located 1,685 km northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, near latitude 19.5 North, longitude 39.5 West.
Gordon is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h). A turn toward the west is forecast Friday night, and the storm is expected to continue. system slow down over the weekend.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. The storm is forecast to strengthen tonight before beginning a weakening trend on Saturday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 mi (110 km) from the center, and the estimated minimum central pressure is 1,006 mb (29.71 in).
The specialists The Cuban Meteorological Institute stated that in the next 12 to 24 hours, this system is expected to turn westward as its speed slows.
In addition, a slight strengthening of this system is possible during the night of this Friday.
However, it does not pose a threat to Cuba and is only of interest to navigation in the area, they said.
Initial projections on the hurricane season of 2024, They pointed to a “very active” behavior in the North Atlantic basin, which also includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Researchers at the Institute’s Forecast Center said that 15 tropical storms are expected to form in this geographic area for the rest of the season, nine of which could evolve into hurricanes.
Of the total number of storms forecast, 12 will develop in the Atlantic ocean zone, while three could originate in the Caribbean Sea.
The odds of a hurricane The probability of originating and intensifying in the Caribbean is 85%, and there is a 70% probability that a hurricane originating in the Atlantic will penetrate the Caribbean region.
On the other hand, the risk of Cuba being hit by at least one hurricane is 80%, while the probability of at least one tropical storm hitting the country reaches 90%, according to analyses by Cuban experts.