Epsilon Racing Over North Atlantic // New Tropical Depression Forms

Epsilon is racing over the northern Atlantic waters while a new tropical depression forms in the Caribbean Sea.

Epsilon is moving to the northeast at 22 mph and this motion with a faster rate of speed in the next few days. Winds are at 80 mph and only slow weakening is expected before it become a powerful post tropical cyclone by late Sunday. 

Meanwhile, a new tropical depression has formed in the Caribbean. 

Winds are at 30 mph, and slow strengthening is expected in the next day or two. That should be followed by a faster rate of intensification, and it could become a hurricane on Tuesday. 

"While the large-scale shear is fairly light at the moment, the low- 

and mid-level circulations of the depression are not well-aligned", the National Hurricane Center said at 5pm.

"Thus, it might take some time for the system to strengthen despite 

low shear and very warm waters. In a day or two, the depression will likely have a structure that supports a faster rate of  strengthening, and the intensification rate is increased [in the forecast] while the cyclone is near the Yucatan. 

"Although the forecast shows the system reaching hurricane strength in the southern Gulf of Mexico, this is rather uncertain given the potential land interaction and 

only a narrow area of favorable upper-level winds."

There is currently a lack of steering currents in the atmosphere, so only a northwestward drift is expected through Sunday. 

A faster movement is expected to begin Monday. 

The current track and speed forecast is uncertain, however, because the atmospheric pattern in play is typically unpredictable.

Several inches of rain are expected in Southern Florida. Interests on the northern Gulf coast will have to monitor yet another tropical cyclone. 

Already, six cyclones have made landfall somewhere along the US gulf coast, and one other cyclone passing by. 

View full satellite loops at satellite.minyancast.com. The specific loop for the tropical depression for this post is at https://files.20.minyancast.com/10-24-20.