Thaindian News

MIAMI (BNO NEWS) — Tropical Storm Jose passed just west of the British overseas territory of Bermuda on late Sunday afternoon, forecasters said, hours after it unexpectedly formed.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) have been following the weather system since August 18 when it emerged as a vigorous tropical wave off the west coast of Africa, accompanied by a large area of showers and thunderstorms. The system appeared to be well organized, but then slowly fell apart.

On Saturday morning, the system re-emerged south of Bermuda amid unfavorable upper-level winds. It nonetheless became better organized and strengthened into a tropical storm within a matter of hours on Sunday morning, making it Tropical Storm Jos with maximum sustained winds near 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour, and higher gusts.

A tropical storm warning was issued for several hours as Jose made its way west of Bermuda, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the island where events were canceled. There was some minor damage, but there were no reports of casualties.

As of 11 p.m. AST (0300 GMT Monday), the center of Jose was located about 190 miles (305 kilometers) north-northwest of Bermuda. It is moving toward the north at a speed near 21 miles (33 kilometers) per hour, with a turn toward the north-northeast expected on Monday morning.

Maximum sustained winds of Jose remain near 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts. “During the late afternoon, Jose had the classic appearance, albeit quite compact, of a well-organized tropical cyclone in radar data from Bermuda,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart. “Since that time Jose has lost all of its deep convection near the center.”

Jose is expected to fall apart quickly on Monday and Tuesday as it moves over cold water. “By 24 hours, Jose should become a shallow remnant low pressure system over very cold water, and eventually dissipate over the North Atlantic Ocean,” Stewart said.

Jose is the tenth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, following Hurricane Irene which remains active as a post-tropical cyclone near the U.S.-Canadian border after causing widespread damage on the U.S. East Coast.

According to figures released earlier this month, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is expecting an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The outlook calls for 14 to 19 named storms, with seven to ten becoming hurricanes and three to five expected to become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher).

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity in September.