A tropical rainstorm that has been designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Two by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is forecast to travel across the southern Caribbean Sea while remaining very close to the shores of South America this week. Tropical storm warnings and watches were in effect Tuesday for several Caribbean islands ahead of the developing system's approach.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the system could strengthen into Tropical Storm Bonnie at any time over the next several days, but it is when the system approaches Central America this weekend that rapid strengthening could occur, with forecasters not ruling out the possibility that the system could reach Category 1 hurricane strength. Currently, however, the NHC says Potential Tropical Cyclone Two has a 70 percent chance of forming as a tropical storm by Wednesday evening.
As of 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday, the storm was located 260 miles to the east of the island of Trinidad and was moving toward the west at 23 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph with tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center, according to the NHC.
According to AccuWeather, the Caribbean might see flooding rainfall and damaging winds—although most are categories as “some” risk to lives and property, the lowest on its scale. Areas in Central America, however, are listed as “moderate” and “high” risk (the second lowest and middle tier).
Bonnie would be the second named storm of the season, following Tropical Storm Alex earlier this month.
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