Tropical Storm Fred Forms Off African Coast, Not Expected to Threaten US

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

August 30,2015; 8:50PM,EDT

 

 

An area of low pressure off the coast of Africa became Tropical Storm Fred early Sunday morning.
While the moisture from once-Tropical Storm Erika moves across the southeastern U.S., Tropical Storm Fred will march toward the Cape Verde Islands into Monday.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Michael Doll, "This system was a rather strong tropical wave as it moved off the coast of Africa on Saturday."
Latest satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Fred (Image/NOAA) Fred is expected to track northwestward over the Cape Verde Islands on Monday before tracking westward across the open waters of the Atlantic.
A combination of warm waters and low wind shear will enable this storm to strengthen prior to moving across the Cape Verde Islands. Fred will likely strengthen into a hurricane, which will make it the second hurricane to form in the Atlantic Basin so far this season, second to Danny.

The main impacts across the islands will be damaging winds, flooding rain and rough seas.
Several inches of rain will be possible and this could trigger mudslides across the mountainous islands. With Fred expected to track over the islands, wind gusts will have the potential to down trees and powerlines which will result in extended periods without power.
After it passes across the islands, a combination of wind shear and dust may prevent this system from further intensification.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey, "While development will be quick into Monday, this system will then be brought quickly into less favorable conditions for strengthening, with the main factor against the cyclone being dry air."
This storm is not expected to bring any impacts to the United States.
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AccuWeather Hurricane Center
"Outside of the Cape Verde Islands, which will see torrential showers and thunderstorms along with a few strong wind gusts, the system is not expected to impact any land masses," Duffey said.
Fred is the only tropical system in the Atlantic basin outside of Tropical Rainstorm Erika. There are currently three major hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific; Kilo, Ignacio and Jimena.