Threat to 30 million Americans as Storm Gabrielle predicted to hit US

"A new disturbance growing in the Atlantic Ocean could soon threaten millions along the US East Coast as a tropical storm or hurricane, meteorologists have warned. Currently dubbed Invest 91L, the strengthening tropical disturbance may form into Gabrielle, the next named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has given it a 90 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression, the first stage of a tropical cyclone, where a low-pressure area forms with thunderstorms and relatively low winds."

"Right now, Invest 91L is just an unorganized weather system with very little defined structure and winds around 23 mph. However, meteorologists believe it could then strengthen into a named tropical storm if its winds reach 39 mph, and potentially become a hurricane if winds increase to 74 mph or higher. While the storm is still far out in the Atlantic, early spaghetti models for its path have shown it taking a potentially devastating route through Florida and up the East Coast into Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia."

The National Hurricane Center assigns Invest 91L a 90 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression. The disturbance is currently unorganized with winds near 23 mph. Winds of 39 mph would make it a named tropical storm (Gabrielle) and winds of 74 mph or higher would make it a hurricane. Early model tracks show potential paths past Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, with a possible landfall in southern Florida around September 16 and a northward track up the East Coast into Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. NOAA's outlook indicates Florida could face multiple tropical threats from September 10–23.

Read at Mail Online