Tropical Storm Cindy has formed in the central Atlantic on the heels of Tropical Storm Bret after it initially became Tropical Depression Four on Thursday.
This marks the first time in recorded history that two tropical cyclones have formed east of the Lesser Antilles in the tropical Atlantic during the month of June.
Tropical Storm Cindy is centered nearly 1100 miles east of the Caribbean islands.
As of Thursday evening, the tropical storm had maximum sustained of at least 40 mph.
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Tropical Storm Cindy is moving west-northwest. It is expected to gradually turn toward the northwest over the next few days.
On this forecast track, Tropical Storm Cindy will remain east of the northern Leeward Islands through the weekend before passing north of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico early next week.
Some strengthening is predicted over the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Tropical Storm Cindy is moving over waters that FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan called “freakishly warm.” Warm water fuels tropical cyclones.
FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross noted that the warm waters and early tropical cyclone formation in this part of the Atlantic Ocean are unprecedented for this time of year, with tropical storms Arlene and Bret already roaming the basin this month.
“We’ve never had a system that far east in June,” Norcross said in reference to Tropical Storm Bret. “And this is at least significantly caused by the extremely warm water in the eastern part of the Atlantic this year. And not just in the tropical Atlantic, but all of the eastern Atlantic has really changed the weather pattern in this way that these systems can develop this early.”
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According to long-term averages from the NHC, the season’s first named storm doesn’t typically form until June 20, the second named storm doesn’t usually develop until July 17, and the third named storm doesn’t tend to form until Aug. 3, so the Atlantic is off to a very fast start this year.
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Hurricane season officially began on June 1. Arlene, the first named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, formed on June 2.