Hurricane Jerry strengthens to a Category 2 storm while more tropical systems loom
ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Hurricane Jerry will bring heavy rain to the northern Leeward Islands on Friday, but will stay well north of Puerto Rico this weekend.
As of 5:00 AM, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, and the center of circulation is located about 290 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
Jerry is moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm will remain a Category 2 hurricane Friday afternoon, but will weaken to a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday when it passes north of Puerto Rico. Jerry's core is expected to be well east-northeast of the Bahamas on Sunday and Monday.
The latest track from the NHC shows the storm moving over Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane.
Tropical storm watches have been issued for St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, and Saba and St. Eustatius.
Meanwhile, there are two additional tropical waves in the open waters of the Atlantic that have a slight chance at becoming tropical depressions or storms.
A tropical wave located about 700 miles east of the Windward Islands is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. The wave is expected to move quickly westward at about 20 mph and some development is possible while it approaches the Windward Islands this weekend. The NHC gives this system a 10 percent chance of development over the next 2 to 5 days.
A broad area of low pressure located over the central Caribbean Sea is expected to move slowly west-
northwestward, but development chances are low at 10-percent.
"Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of the Greater Antilles during the next few days," said the National Hurricane Center.
There's also a tropical wave forecast to move off the west coast of Africa this weekend and it's predicted that a tropical depression could form early next week while the wave moves westward across the eastern Atlantic.
The next 2 names on this year's hurricane name list are Karen and Lorenzo.
TRACK THE TROPICS: OrlandoHurricane.com
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