Tropical Storm Igor forms in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean, expected to become hurricane

September 9th, 2010 - 2:36 am ICT by BNO News  

MIAMI (BNO NEWS) — Tropical Storm Igor formed in the far eastern tropical Atlantic on late Wednesday morning, forecasters said, and the storm could strengthen into a hurricane within days.

As of 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), the center of Igor was located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Praia in the Cape Verde Islands, bringing squally weather to the islands. A tropical storm watch was issued for southern Cape Verde Islands, including Maio, Sao Tiago, Fogo and Brava.

“Tropical storm conditions are possible in the southern Cape Verde Islands later today and overnight,” said forecaster Blake at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. “Igor could produce rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches over portions of the Cape Verde Islands.”

The storm, the ninth tropical storm of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, was moving toward the west near 9 kilometers (6 miles) per hour as of 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). “This motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days with some increase in forward speed,” Blake said. “On the forecast track, the center of Igor should pass south of the Cape Verde Islands by tomorrow.”

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, with higher gusts, but the storm is expected to strengthen further. “All reliable models show intensification into a hurricane in the next several days,” Blake said.

An Intensity Probability Table released by the National Hurricane Center showed that Igor will likely strengthen into a category one hurricane on early Saturday morning. At that time, the storm will be far away from any land.

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