MIAMI, FL — After nearly three weeks of dormancy, the Atlantic is finally waking up again. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has named Tropical Storm Gabrielle in the open Atlantic, roughly 1,000 miles east of the Caribbean. As of the 11 am EST advisory, Gabrielle is currently packing 45 mph winds as it slides northwest at 22 mph. Gabrielle is the first storm to form in the Atlantic Basin since Tropical Storm Fernand dissipated on August 28th.
Gabrielle is currently a weak storm and appears disheveled on satellite, but medium-range models suggest the fledgling system will organize and strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by the end of the weekend. Should Gabrielle reach hurricane strength, it would only be the second named Atlantic storm to do so this year. Hurricane Erin reached Category 5 strength on August 16th before buzzing the North Carolina coast the following week.
Most models lead Gabrielle away from the U.S. mainland, but this storm is worth watching closely over the next 7-10 days. Rip currents and rough surf could become issues for large swaths of the East Coast even if the storm remains hundreds of miles to the east. We’ll keep you posted on Gabrielle and any other storms that form in the Atlantic as we continue through the peak of hurricane season.
