—
The second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has formed in an unusual location and is set to take an even more unusual track.
CANADA’S JULY FORECAST: Is the summer boiling or the heat subsiding? Your monthly outlook here
Tropical Storm Bonnie formed in the southern Caribbean on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h. The system will reach the east coast of Nicaragua on Saturday morning, more or less maintaining its current strength as it moves inland.
BonnieFcst
Forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) expect the storm to bring heavy rainfall along its path. Heavy tropical rains in Central America are exacerbated by the region’s mountainous terrain, making flash floods and mudslides a significant threat in any system reaching land.
READ MORE: Here’s what to stock your emergency kit BEFORE you hit the road
More than 100 mm of rain could fall in parts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica over the weekend, which could lead to life-threatening flash floods for communities in affected areas.
It is unusual for a tropical storm to form this far south in the Caribbean. Most storms track further north, closer to the Antilles. This storm, and the disturbance it formed from, hugged South America as it crossed the Caribbean this week.
TropicalRain
WATCH: ANOTHER BUSY HURRICANE SEASON LIKELY AHEAD
Click here to view the video
—
But what’s even more unusual is that the NHC expects Tropical Storm Bonnie to survive its encounter with Nicaragua and exit over the eastern Pacific. The mountains of Central America usually rip apart a storm, but Bonnie is moving fast enough for its center of circulation to survive the short trip over land.
If the tropical storm completes its ocean exchange and survives in the eastern Pacific later this weekend, the storm will retain the name Bonnie as forecasters track it up the west coast of Mexico.
BE READY: New to the East Coast? Here’s how to prepare for hurricane season
Conditions here are favorable for Bonnie to gradually strengthen into a hurricane by early next week. Residents and visitors to coastal cities on Mexico’s west coast will need to keep a close eye on the storm’s track in the coming days.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest updates on the tropics.
Add Comment