We’re keeping a distant eye on dangerous Hurricane Erin. The tropical system remains powerful yet centered far from land. On Monday Erin spent the day east of the Bahamas. The eye of the hurricane was too far for direct impacts. Still, some outer rain squalls brushed across the Bahamas. The southeastern and central Bahamas also experienced wind gusts near (or exceeding) tropical storm strength. How close will Erin get to Florida, Tuesday? The center is forecast to stay about 500 miles offshore of Florida’s east coast. Therefore, the impact will be minimal except for the distant Atlantic waters churning higher. A Rip Current threat will ramp midweek to a “high risk,” making for dangerous swimming conditions.
Over the rest of the week, Erin will turn north, then northeast. That means it should steer clear from all of the eastern states in the days ahead. Just like Florida, though, much of the Eastern Seaboard will have secondary effects with higher surf and rough seas.
By the end of this week there may be something new to track in the tropics. There’s a growing chance that far-away wave (currently 3000 miles from the U.S., in the Atlantic) could develop into a depression or tropical storm. It’s too early to predict a future track, mainly because there’s no “starting point” as nothing has formed. Should it do so, we’ll follow it carefully and keep you advised on the forecast track.