System off Florida could become season’s first named storm

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — A trough of low pressure moving through the Florida Straits could organise over the northwestern Bahamas later Friday or Saturday and become the first named storm of the 2020 hurricane season, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Tropical storm force wind gusts are possible in the Florida Keys, southeast Florida and the Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, forecasters said.

Gale warnings have also been issued for the region.

Hurricane season starts June 1, but forecasters at the hurricane center said the system, which was already bringing heavy rain and wind across South Florida on Friday morning, has a 70% chance of developing into a subtropical or tropical storm.

If it develops, the storm would be named Arthur.

Subtropical storms are not as defined as tropical storms, with its strongest winds located some distance from it’s loosely formed centre.

They are also not a strong as tropical storms.

It’s not uncommon to have a named storm before the official start of hurricane season.

Later in the weekend and early next week the system is forecast to move generally northeastward over the western Atlantic.

The forecast led Florida emergency management officials to close 14 state-run COVID-19 test sites on Friday.

The sites in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Brevard counties will reopen on Monday.

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