Tropical Storm Cindy strengthens over open Atlantic as Bret loses wind intensity
Two storms were spinning simultaneously across the Atlantic basin during June for the first time in 55 years on Friday, and AccuWeather forecasters say the East Pacific may soon turn active too.
If you’ve ever wondered what exactly El Niño is or how it really impacts hurricanes in the Atlantic, AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno has the answers you need.
Thursday night into Friday marked the first time since 1968 that two named storms were spinning simultaneously across the Atlantic in the month of June. AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor the tropical systems in the Atlantic basin, Bret and Cindy, as well as the potential for the first tropical storm of the season to develop in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
As of 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, Tropical Storm Bret was 55 miles north-northwest of the northern tip of Colombia's Guajira Peninsula and was tracking to the west at 21 mph. Since peaking in strength late Wednesday, when it had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, Bret has steadily lost wind intensity. As of the 11 a.m. EDT Saturday update, Bret had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm's position in the Caribbean Sea will continue to play a significant role in its intensity potential given the expansive zone of increased wind shear. The feature will continue to move westward across the Caribbean Sea to start the weekend.
Wind shear can be a critical factor for a tropical system's organization and intensity. Wind shear, or disruptive winds, is the change in direction and increases in the speed of breezes across the surface of the Earth and at different altitudes in the atmosphere.
"Think of tropical storms and hurricanes as a neat, tall stack of pancakes. Strong vertical wind shear can cause some pancakes to be displaced, and the stack could fall over," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued for the islands of St. Lucia, Dominica and Martinique as of early Friday. Midday Friday, tropical storm warnings were discontinued for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A maximum reported wind gust of 69 mph was observed at St. Lucia as the storm passed by.
A combination of strong winds and tropical downpours could cause flooding, downed trees and even power outages across the islands. Forecasters point out that mudslides are possible, especially at higher elevations.
Above shows a satellite image captured Saturday morning EDT of Bret and Cindy across the Atlantic Basin (RAMMB/CIRA SLIDER).
Into this weekend, the storm will gradually lose wind intensity and eventually transition to a tropical depression. Even as Bret becomes disorganized, tropical moisture could continue to push westward into portions of Central America during the first half of next week.
Tropical Depression Four strengthens to Tropical Storm Cindy
Late Thursday night, Tropical Depression Four strengthened into Tropical Storm Cindy. As of 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, Cindy was tracking northwestward at 20 mph, located around 535 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
Tropical Storm Cindy is not likely to impact land as it remains well north of the Greater Antilles. Still, shipping and boating interests within the region should closely monitor this feature's location and intensity.
Through this weekend, forecasters say that Cindy will shift to the north-northwest and continue its path north of the Lesser Antilles. Once it moves well to the north of Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands early next week, it is expected to enter a less favorable environment for further development. At this time, chances remain low for this feature to be upgraded to hurricane strength.
Watching for development in the East Pacific
In the East Pacific, AccuWeather meteorologists are closely watching several poorly organized waves this week. However, activity is likely to ramp up sometime early next week across the basin.
A zone of low pressure is expected to develop off the southern coast of Mexico this weekend. Forecasters say that this tropical low has a high risk of forming into a tropical depression in the Pacific early next week. A secondary zone is being monitored around midweek for potential development, but potential remains low at this time.
If this feature develops into a tropical depression or tropical storm, it is unlikely to bring impacts to land. The first name on the 2023 East Pacific tropical cyclone list is Adrian.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
