Philippe, Rina continue to churn through the Atlantic
Philippe and Rina continue to meander over the central Atlantic, but steering winds are expected to keep the worst conditions away from the northeastern Caribbean, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Philippe and Rina are side-by-side over the Atlantic Ocean, one of which may impact land in the coming days.
Philippe and Rina continue to meander over the central Atlantic, but steering winds are expected to keep the worst conditions away from the northeastern Caribbean and the United States, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Hostile breezes, known as wind shear, will tend to hold back the intensity levels of both storms early this week. However, some fluctuation in strength is possible, especially if thunderstorm complexes are able to better wrap into the center of either or both storms.
This image shows Tropical Storm Philippe (bottom) and Tropical Storm Rina (top) on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. The Leeward and Windward islands of the Caribbean appear to the far left. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
The wind shear could cause either system to dip below tropical storm strength. For context, a hurricane has sustained winds of 74 mph or greater while a tropical storm has sustained winds of 39-73 mph.
Philippe is expected to be guided northward into early week after meandering east of the Lesser Antilles for several days. As of Sunday morning, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
The tropical storm may help to enhance downpours and rough seas in part of the Leeward Islands over the next day or two, but the region is expected to be spared from damaging impacts.
Tropical Storm Rina spins nearby to Philippe
AccuWeather meteorologists have been watching another disturbance, or a tropical wave, a bit farther to the east over the Atlantic since it moved off the coast of Africa back toward the middle of the month. That tropical wave evolved into Tropical Storm Rina during the midday hours on Thursday. Early Sunday, Rina had top sustained winds of 40 mph.
The exact tracks of Rina and Philippe remain somewhat unclear due to the two systems being so close together, though AccuWeather forecasters are confident that neither system will bring direct impacts to land.
The proximity of Philippe and Rina may be so close that both interact and interfere with each other, hence limiting strengthening and even fostering weakening, AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
The most likely scenario for Rina is one that curves to the north and takes the center of the storm well to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles.
There is also a chance that Rina may behave similarly and experience some of the same steering influences that caused Philippe's track to pivot farther to the west.
At this time, a more northerly track that takes Rina well away from the Caribbean is the most likely.
During October and November, wind shear typically increases over much of the Atlantic basin, suppressing some development and organization of tropical systems.
However, waters surrounding the U.S. can still birth tropical systems late in hurricane season.
Watching nearby Atlantic for homebrew storms in October
AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring an area just off the Atlantic coast for tropical or subtropical development through the start of October.
During an El Niño pattern, which is underway with warmer-than-normal waters in parts of the tropical Pacific, wind shear tends to develop more rapidly and with more strength over the Atlantic, hastening the inhibiting factors for tropical development across much of the basin during the latter part of the season.
With the formation of Rina, there have now been 17 named storms and one unnamed storm for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The unnamed storm was subtropical in nature and developed back in January over the North Atlantic. Hurricane Lee was the strongest of all tropical systems thus far this season and was a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. At peak, sustained winds in Lee reached 165 mph.
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