System forming quickly in eastern Atlantic

The National Weather Service says a surface low pressure system in the Atlantic off the west coat of Africa has a good chance -- 60  percent -- of becoming a tropical system.

Forecasters say the system, a couple of hundred miles south of the Cape Verde Islands is moving westward at about 10 mph., with well-defined circulation.

The system only needs a small increase in the amount and organization of thunderstorm activity to form a tropical depression, the weather service's 2 p.m. advisory said.

The latest satellite imagery:

So long, Chantal

Tropical Storm Chantal officially became a memory Wednesday afternoon as data from a reconnaissance plane revealed the storm had degenerated into a tropical wave.

At 5 p.m., the remnants of Chantal were expected to spread over Jamaica and eastern Cuba Wednesday night and Thursday, reaching Florida by Friday. Tropical storm force winds up to 45 mph could still affect Haiti and eastern Cuba during the next day or so.

The system is expected to dump 3-6 inches of rain over Hispaniola.

Chantal weakens over Hispaniola; some watches discontinued

Tropical Storm Chantal weakened significantly overnight, and may even be downgraded to a tropical wave later today forecasters said Wednesday.

At 8 a.m., maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph, down from 65 mph Tuesday afternoon. Chantal is expected to pass over the Dominican Republic and Haiti Wednesday, where authorities warned of possible landslides and heavy flooding.

A reconnaissance aircraft was scheduled to fly into the storm Wednesday morning. Signs that the storm is falling apart prompted a hurricane watch to be discontinued for the Dominican Republic's southern coast, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

However, a tropical storm warning was still in effect for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, and the southeastern Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center said that on the current forecast track, Chantal's center will be moving near or to the south of Hispaniola and over eastern Cuba on Thursday. However, if the system unravels, remnants will move rapidly westward.

The 8 a.m. forecast track map:

Manatee County now "inside the cone"

The 5 p.m. updated forecast track of Tropical Storm Chantal has Manatee County on the fringe of what forecasters call the cone of uncertainty; that is, there's a possibility the storm could head our way.

Even if it doesn't pass directly over Manatee County, experts warn that the area could still feel the effects of the storm.

"A tropical cyclone is not a point. Their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center," the National Hurricane Center posts on its web site. Since Chantal's tropical force winds are now being felt 90 miles from its center, it wouldn't take a direct hit for Manatee to see damage.

At 5 p.m., the government of the Bahamas has issued a tropical storm warning for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands and a tropical storm watch for the central Bahamas.

A tropical storm warning has been extended to include the entire coast of Haiti, while warnings for Martinique and Guadeloupe have been discontinued.

A hurricane watch is in effect for Barahona to Samana in the Dominican Republic

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

• Puerto Rico
• Entire coast of the Dominican Republic
• Entire coast of Haiti
• Turks and Caicos
• Southeastern Bahamas

A tropical storm watch is in effect for:

• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Vieques and Culebra
• Central Bahamas

The 5 p.m. map:

Chantal gets a little stronger

Tropical Storm Chantal is picking up strength as it blows past the Windward Islands Tuesday, the National Weather Service is reporting.

At 2 p.m. EDT, data from ground observations in Martinique and a reconnaissance plane indicate the storm's maximum sustained winds near its center are 65 mph. It continues to move west-northwest at 29 mph, tracking toward Hispaniola. 

Tropical storm-force winds extend 90 miles from the center, forecasters say.

A hurricane watch is in effect from Barahona to Samana in the Dominican Republic. Tropical storm warnings and watches have been posted throughout the eastern Carribean.

The latest five-day projected track:

Chantal expected to parallel Florida's east coast by the weekend

Tropical Storm Chantal continues to move west toward Florida Tuesday morning with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

The forecast track has the storm eventually moving north along Florida's east coast by the weekend.

At 8 a.m. Chantal was about 45 miles north-northwest of Barbados and 85 miles east of St. Lucia, moving west at 29 mph.

Chantal’s center will move away from the Lesser Antilles later today and expected to be over the Dominican Republic by Wednesday, forecasters say.


A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

• Barbados
• Dominica
• St. Lucia
• Martinique
• Guadeloupe
• Puerto Rico
• Southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the Haitian border.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for:.

• St. Vincent
• U.S. Virgin islands
• Vieques and Culebra
• Northern coast of the Dominican republic
• Haiti
• Turks and Caicos
• Southeastern Bahamas

A new system to watch

The National Weather Service has spotted a strong tropical wave over the eastern Atlantic about 950 miles southwest of the Cape Verde islands.

The shower and thunderstorm activity continues to show some signs of organization. Forecasters say there's a 30 percent chance of the system, shown outlined in orange below, becoming a tropical storm in the next 48 hours as it moves westward at 20 to 25 mph.