Tropical Storm Chantal has increased in intensity slightly to 50 mph and is moving quickly to the west/northwest. Potential exists for the storm to affect primarily eastern portions of FL beginning on Friday and through Sunday.
11:00 am EST, Tuesday, July 09th, 2013
QuickFacts
Storm Name: Chantal
Status: Tropical Storm
Location: 13.8 N, 59.7 W
Maximum Sustained Winds (“MSW”): 50 mph up to 90 miles from the center
Movement: West/Northwest @ 26 mph
Potential Interaction with FL (“PIF”):
PIF1 - Next 1-2 Days: 0%
PIF3 - Next 3-4 Days: 0%-10% (Large Storm/Potential Tropical Depression)
PIF5 - Next 5-7 Days: 40%-50% (Potential Tropical Storm)
*Potential Interaction with FL (“PIF”) estimates are designed to help the FMIT Alert reader determine the potential for the storm’s interaction with Florida based upon data available to FMIT at the time of the alert. “Interaction with Florida” means that a significant portion of the storm may impact Florida and is to be used for informational purposes only.
Discussion:
Tropical Storm Chantal continues to race to the west/northwest at 26 mph while increasing slightly in intensity with max sustained winds of 50 mph extending up to 90 miles from the storm’s center. Chantal is now in the southeastern Caribbean and is affecting the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia. Forecast models are in agreement that Chantal will increase to 65 mph winds before affecting the island of Hispaniola tomorrow. Models predict that the mountains of the island will reduce the storm’s intensity back to a low intensity Tropical Storm or Depression as it enters the northeastern Caribbean on Thursday. A majority of models are showing that much of Chantal will pass to the east of FL, but some previously reliable models still indicate that it could head more west and directly affect FL. NOAA still does not predict that Chantal will strengthen into a Hurricane at this time as wind shear is predicted to increase over the next 1-2 days in addition to the interaction of the storm with Hispaniola.
We will continue to track the system and send alerts as it moves closer to FL over the next 4-5 days.
