Bermuda to face downpours, rough surf as new tropical system attempts to develop
Regardless of whether the Atlantic Basin’s next tropical depression forms by midweek, downpours will stream from the northern Caribbean to Bermuda through Tuesday.
A tropical system will track just west of Bermuda through Tuesday.
The system is currently battling wind shear, which is the changing of speed and direction of winds at different layers of the atmosphere. Strong wind shear can prevent tropical development or shred apart mature tropical storms or hurricanes.
The system has likely lost its chance for development as it begins to be absorbed by a cold front moving off the United States into midweek.
It will get steered to the northeast into the open waters of the Atlantic by midweek but will first soak Bermuda.
"Regardless of development, this track will still cause the system to bring Bermuda strong and gusty gale-force winds and heavy rainfall on Tuesday," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Even though the system is moving away from the Caribbean Islands, tropical moisture streaming toward it will lead to additional downpours across Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin islands early this week.
Rough seas have also been churned up, creating hazards for swimmers and operators of small craft.
The downpours can lead to new incidents of flooding and mudslides, especially where the landscape has been stripped of foliage by Maria and Irma.
NPR reports that Puerto Rico has recently been plagued by such problems, especially in the rural areas.
A suitcase full of mud lays among items destroyed by Hurricane Maria, placed outside a home to be taken away along with other water-damaged belongings in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
One woman from a neighborhood in Utuado told NPR that her home, which backs up to a river, re-flooded nearly every day this past week.
More than 35 percent of the residents of Puerto Rico remain without safe drinking water, according to CNN.
Even where flooding does not ensue, downpours will put a damper on cleanup operations. Any thunderstorms will force cleanup crews to move indoors for a time.
Another tropical system may deliver more showers and a few thunderstorms to the islands at midweek before much-needed drier air rushes in later in the week.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Ophelia is no longer a hurricane but still turned deadly as it battered Ireland and the United Kingdom. No other tropical development is expected this week.
Kottlowski warned that the opportunity for tropical development may unfold over the Gulf of Mexico early next week.
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