Hurricane tracker: Tropical storm Bret intensifies, torrential rainfall and flooding likely

Tropical storm 'Bret' has gathered more strength as it is heading west towards the Caribbean islands, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has stated, as per reports.

The NHC has issued a warning that the tropical storm Bret will move across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and is expected to reach the portions of Caribbean islands on Thursday evening. Islands in the eastern Caribbean are bracing for torrential rainfall, landslides and flooding, as per reports.

"Tropical Storm Watches" have been issued by the NHC for St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, and Barbados.


On Wednesday morning, Tropical Storm Bret was located in the Atlantic, 500 miles off east of Barbados. There could be winds speeding up to 73 mph in the next 48 hours.

A special aircraft is expected to investigate the storm later Wednesday and provide a better estimate of Bret's intensity, according to the hurricane center. Officials said it was too soon to know where Bret's center would pass through, but they warned that up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain were forecast from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe south to Grenada and Barbados, as per an AP report.

Bret is expected to weaken after it enters the eastern Caribbean Sea and is forecast to become a tropical wave soon after that.

The storm formed Monday — an unusually early and aggressive start to the Atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1. A tropical disturbance with an 80% chance of cyclone formation is trailing Bret. No June on record has had two storms form in the tropical Atlantic, according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach at Colorado State University, as per an AP report.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast 12 to 17 named storms for this year’s hurricane season. It said between five and nine of those storms could become hurricanes, including up to four major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher, AP reported.

FAQs

Q1. Has Atlantic hurricane season begun?
A1. Atlantic hurricane season commenced on June 1.

Q2. Is there any Hurricane alert?
A2. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast 12 to 17 named storms for this year’s hurricane season. It said between five and nine of those storms could become hurricanes, including up to four major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher, AP reported.