Tropical Storm Josephine forms; could impact Caribbean this weekend
Tropical
Storm Josephine formed in the Atlantic Ocean this Thursday morning, making it
the earliest “J-named” in recorded history.
The storm was
located 975 miles (1,569 kilometres) east-southeast of the northern Leeward
Islands, according to the US National Hurricane Center’s advisory published at
11 a.m.
The center said Josephine is moving west-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph).
On its projected path, Josephine could pass relatively close to the Leeward Islands in the northeastern part of the Caribbean this weekend.
Josephine’s strengthening
to a tropical storm today, breaks the previous record held by Jose which
developed on August 22, 2005.
It is the
eighth storm this year to have broken records for being the earliest named system
for their respective letters.
Only two of
the named storms, Hanna and Isaias, have become hurricanes. The latter killed
two people in the Caribbean in early August and several more across the United
States where it made landfall.
No coastal
watches or warnings are in effect for Tropical Storm Josephine.
