Tropical Storm Fred Blasts Cape Verde Islands, Not Expected to Threaten US
As of Monday evening, Fred was downgraded to a tropical storm. It will depart the Cape Verde Islands Tuesday and weaken further in the coming days.
Before weakening, Fred became the second hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season. According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski, Fred is the farthest east a hurricane has formed on record in the Atlantic Ocean.
"Fred was only the third known hurricane to impact the Cape Verde Islands," Kottlowski said.
The main impacts across the islands will be damaging winds, flooding rain and rough seas. These impacts will diminish by Tuesday afternoon as Fred moves farther away from the islands.
Several inches of rain has threatened flash flooding and mudslides across the mountainous islands. While high wind gusts continue Tuesday morning, the threat for downed trees and power lines exists. Extended periods without power are possible.
After departing the Cape Verde Islands, Fred will track across the open waters of the Atlantic during the middle and latter part of this week.
A combination of wind shear and dry air may prevent this system from further intensification and will gradually cause the system to weaken.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey, "Fred will be brought quickly into less favorable conditions for strengthening, with the main factor against it being dry air."
Fred is not expected to bring any impacts to the United States.
"Outside of the Cape Verde Islands, which will see torrential showers and thunderstorms along with a few strong wind gusts, the system is not expected to impact any landmasses," Duffey said.
Fred is the only tropical system in the Atlantic basin outside of leftover moisture from Erika.
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