Tropical Storm Rene forms, joins Tropical Storm Paulette in Atlantic

ORLANDO, Fla. - Tropical Storm Rene has formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is the earliest "R-named" storm in a record-setting hurricane season, breaking the previous record of Rita, which formed Sept. 18, 2005.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Cabo Verde Islands.  Current forecast models show Rene becoming a hurricane but it will be located far away from the United States. 

Earlier Monday, Tropical Storm Paulette formed in the central Atlantic, far from land. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm's maximum sustained winds are 40 mph with modest strengthening expected over the next few days.

Paulette is currently located well into the Atlantic and is moving west-northwest, according to the NHC. It is expected to gain speed as it moves through the ocean.

TRACK THE TROPICS: Visit the FOX 35 Orlando Hurricane Center for the latest in the tropics, including daily updates, live radar, and severe weather alerts.

STAY PREPARED: Download the Orlando Sentinel Hurricane Guide for everything you need to know about the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season

So far, 16 named storms have formed during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. If all 26 names are used, the letters of the Greek alphabet will be used.

The last time the Greek alphabet was used in the Atlantic was in 2005, the year of Hurricane Katrina.  With a total of 27 storms that year, the first six letters of the Greek alphabet were used: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Zeta. 

Be sure you have the FOX 35 Weather App downloaded and ready for hurricane season.