Weakening Tropical Storm Fred Leaving Cabo Verde

September 1,2015

Highlights

• Tropical Storm Fred is now over 400 miles northwest of the Republic of Cabo Verde, moving away from the islands.
• Fred strengthened into a hurricane in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Africa early Monday morning, becoming the first hurricane since 1892 to hit the islands.
• Fred was responsible for bringing heavy rain and strong winds to portions of the Cabo Verde Islands, although damage was generally minor.
• A gradual weakening trend is expected this week and the system is no threat to the Caribbean or the United States.

(MAP: Follow Tropical Storm Fred with our new Interactive Storm Tracker)

Current status

Fred Projected Path

Tropical Storm Fred is pulling away from the Republic of Cabo Verde, a group of 10 volcanic islands off the west coast of Africa.
The Associated Press reported all airports were closed in the republic Monday, in anticipation of the storm. They also reported that the storm caused flooding, scattered power outages and uprooted some trees, but that no major damage was noted.
Satellite imagery Tuesday night indicated that convection near the center of Fred was decreasing and that the low-level center had become partially exposed. Fred has continued to look less organized with time since departing Cabo Verde.
Southwesterly shearing winds aloft, stable, dry air and cooler water temperatures have been the main factors in weakening Fred. The system is expected to move into a more unfavorable environment in the coming days, so further weakening is likely.
There is no indication at this time that Fred will come anywhere near the Caribbean or North America based on the latest computer model guidance and the state of the atmosphere. Fred is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression and then a remnant low by this weekend.

Rare Hurricane For Cape Verde Islands

Fred is just the fourth Atlantic named storm to form east of 19 degrees West longitude, the National Hurricane Center said in its advisory issued for the storm Sunday morning.
According to a blog from Bob Henson of wunderground.com, there is no reliable record of a hurricane ever making landfall in Cabo Verde. Henson said that an 1892 storm reportedly intensified into a hurricane while passing to the south of the northwest Cape Verde Islands. In 1998, Jeanne reached hurricane status while passing south of the islands by about 100 miles, Henson added.
The islands have seen deadly impacts from tropical storms. The deadliest was Tropical Storm Fran in 1984 whose heavy rains caused flooding that killed more than two dozen people, Henson said.
(MORE: Expert Analysis | Hurricane Central)
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