Tropical Storm Jerry is on track to become a Category 1 hurricane this week, though forecasters believe unfavorable environmental conditions will spare the Leeward Islands from its most severe impacts.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, the storm is projected to pass near the northern Leeward Islands before strengthening into a hurricane over open water by Friday afternoon. The islands are expected to avoid sustained tropical storm-force winds because the system’s strongest winds are concentrated on its eastern side, away from land.
As of Thursday morning, Jerry was located 355 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at 20 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. A tropical storm watch is in effect for parts of the Caribbean, and residents in the Leeward and Virgin Islands are advised to monitor the storm’s progress and prepare for heavy rainfall. Jerry does not pose a threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Separately, the NHC is monitoring a non-tropical area of low pressure in the north Atlantic, several hundred miles west-northwest of the Azores. The system is generating some showers but has only a 10% chance of development over the next week, as it is forecast to move into cooler waters and encounter stronger wind shear.
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