We are just about two and a half weeks away from the peak of hurricane season, and the tropics are certainly heating up. We have 2 features in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean that should continue to be watched. The first is Danielle, which has been downgraded from a category 2 hurricane earlier today all the way down to a tropical storm.

Danielle currently is just shy of hurricane strength with 70 mile per hour winds. It is moving WNW at about 18 miles per hour. Computer models are showing that it may make it’s way a little further to the west than prior forecasts had predicted, before curving out to sea. It will also likely strengthen back into a hurricane later this week. Bermuda may get some weather from the system late this weekend.

The other feature in the Atlantic is only a tropical wave at this time, but is expected to become our fifth named storm sometime tomorrow or Thursday. It will be named Tropical Storm Earl. The wave is currently located 125 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands and is moving in a Westerly direction.