Tropical Storm Fred expected to form Tuesday and is tracking toward the US

(CNN) — Tropical Storm Fred is expected to signifier Tuesday, prompting tropical tempest watches and warnings crossed the bluish Caribbean.

If it forms, Fred volition beryllium the sixth named tempest of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane play and volition marque its mode to the confederate U.S. this weekend. The disturbance is presently a imaginable tropical cyclone and the National Hurricane Center is forecasting it to fortify into a tropical tempest Tuesday day oregon evening.

“Satellite imagery shows that the disturbance has go amended organized since yesterday,” the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning.

The strategy is moving west-northwestward astatine 18 mph with sustained winds of 35 mph. As it continues to advancement done the Caribbean, the imaginable cyclone volition bring the menace of flooding, mudslides and unsafe winds to the islands successful the region.

“Tropical tempest conditions are expected successful portions of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico opening this afternoon, and successful the Dominican Republic by Wednesday. Tropical tempest conditions are imaginable successful bluish Haiti and the southeastern Bahamas by precocious Wednesday,” the NHC said.

Tropical tempest warnings are successful effect for Puerto Rico, including Culebra and Vieques, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and parts of the Dominican Republic connected Tuesday. Tropical tempest watches see Martinique and Guadeloupe, Saba and St. Eustatius, the Dominican Republic connected the northbound seashore from Cabo Frances Viejo to the borderline of Haiti, parts of Haiti, Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas, according to the NHC.

A tropical tempest informing means that tropical tempest conditions are imaginable successful the informing country wrong 36 hours.

The disturbance volition bring flooding rainfall to parts of the Caribbean passim the mediate of the week, causing concerns for flash flooding and mudslides successful the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

“The top menace for flooding impacts volition beryllium crossed the eastbound and southeastern portions of Puerto Rico,” said the NHC.

The Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are expected to spot 2 to 4 inches of rainfall with isolated amounts of up to six inches. The Dominican Republic could get 3 to six inches arsenic well. Smaller totals of 1 to 3 inches are forecast for the Windward Islands.

Dangerous surf and rip currents are besides impacting the Caribbean and volition proceed wrong the informing and ticker areas.

Tropical-storm-force winds and dense rainfall endanger a wider portion crossed Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Cuba successful the second information of the week arsenic the tempest travels crossed the bluish Caribbean.

As the strategy approaches and perchance moves implicit Cuba, the onshore enactment could perchance weaken the tempest significantly. There is inactive uncertainty successful the way of the disturbance, but immoderate models amusement the tempest tracking implicit the island, which would inhibit strengthening.

If the imaginable cyclone follows a much northerly way successful unfastened waters, determination is inactive a anticipation for further strengthening but the forecast is inactive uncertain successful the formative stages of the storm.

“For the adjacent fewer days the tempest volition beryllium affected by Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and apt not fortify much, but aft that determination is plentifulness of lukewarm h2o for it to get stronger,” said CNN meteorologist Chad Meyers.

The Bahamas and Florida whitethorn beryllium impacted by the tropical strategy aboriginal successful the week, but the uncertainty of the forecast is impairing the timing of impacts. The tempest could marque its mode into the Gulf by the extremity of the week oregon the weekend, depending connected the eventual way of the disturbance.

“Interests successful Florida should show updates to the forecast for this system, but it is excessively soon to find what if immoderate impacts could hap determination by precocious this week oregon this play fixed the uncertainty successful the long-range forecast,” the NHC says.