MIAMI — Tropical Storm Colin formed on Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico, churning toward Florida’s west coast, where it is expected to cross before heading into the Atlantic, officials said.
Packing sustained winds of 65km/h, the storm was about 740km southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving northward at 14km/h, the National Hurricane Centre said. “Some strengthening is forecast before Colin reaches the coast of Florida,” the centre said in an update posted at about midnight on Sunday. The storm is expected to dump 7.6cm-12.7cm of rain along its path.
US government scientists have said more storms are expected during the coming Atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1 and runs until November 30.
The Atlantic could see 10-16 tropical storms, of which four to eight could become hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Centre.
The 2015 season was considered below average, with 11 tropical storms in the Atlantic, of which four became hurricanes and two became major hurricanes. The long-term average, taken over the years 1981-2010, is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
AFP
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