Early Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center began tracking the first tropical storm of the season. Tropical Storm Andrea developed from an area of low pressure located between Bermuda and the Azores. Early morning estimates of the storm’s winds show that sustained winds have increased to 40 miles per hour, just over the minimum threshold for a Tropical Storm.
Andrea is moving eastward and away from the US mainland at 15 knots. It is not expected to intensify into a hurricane, in fact the forecast for Andrea keeps it as a minimal tropical storm. Environmental conditions are expected to become increasingly unfavorable for tropical development.
As Andrea moves east, it is expected to weaken into a post-tropical remnant low Wednesday. Vertical wind shear around the storm will increase to 40 knots, tearing the storm apart. Andrea will also be moving into an area of the Atlantic with much cooler waters.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, quiet conditions continue. There are no other potential areas of concern, and tropical storm formation will remain unlikely into July as another plume of Saharan dust moves off the African coast.