(Bloomberg) — The Atlantic Ocean has spun up two tropical storms in quick succession after spending more than a month quiet as the heart of hurricane season starts to beat.
(Bloomberg) — The Atlantic Ocean has spun up two tropical storms in quick succession after spending more than a month quiet as the heart of hurricane season starts to beat.
Tropical Storm Danielle formed on Thursday and is now churning about 915 miles (1,472 kilometers) west of the Azores in the central Atlantic with winds of 70 mph, the US National Hurricane Center said early Saturday.
The second system, Tropical Storm Earl, is about 115 miles east-northeast of the Caribbean Leeward Islands with winds of 40 mph. Both storms are far from land and neither poses an immediate threat to life or property.
The storms come after the Atlantic remained calm through August; the month passed without a tropical storm or hurricane for the first time since 1997. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, but the most active time usually occurs between mid-August and the start of October.
Atlantic storms are closely watched because if they move into the Gulf of Mexico they can disrupt natural gas and oil production and supply, as well disrupting agriculture.
Five storms have now formed this season, a mark usually reached by Aug. 22. Only one of them, Danielle, briefly reached hurricane strength. In most years, two Atlantic hurricanes have formed by early September.
In addition to the Atlantic storms, forecasters are tracking Typhoon Hinnamnor, which is tearing through Japan’s southern islands, resulting in flight cancellations. The typhoon is expected to strike South Korea early next week.
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