Danielle returns to hurricane status. Tropical Storm Earl could bring floods to Puerto Rico
The fourth-named storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Danielle, took such a long time to gain a name, the system seems to have trouble wearing it well.
On Friday, Hurricane Danielle became the first hurricane of the season after a month of no named storms.
By early Saturday, Danielle had been downgraded to a tropical storm but that may change again.
In the 5 p.m. Saturday National Hurricane Center alert, forecasters said Danielle could see gradual strengthening during the next couple of days and is forecast to become a hurricane again.
Danielle had maximum sustained winds at 70 mph with some higher gusts. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center.
Tropical Storm Danielle was about 965 miles west of the Azores. Danielle was moving west at about 6 mph Saturday afternoon.
Danielle is moving toward the west, and a slow westward motion is expected through early Sunday. A turn to the north is forecast to begin Sunday night.
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Tropical Storm Earl
Tropical Storm Earl’s maximum sustained winds held steady at 50 mph with some higher gusts after it gained storm status Friday. The storm’s winds extend outward up to 105 miles, mainly to the north and east of the center. The storm was about 75 miles north of the northern Leeward Islands.
On the hurricane center’s 5 p.m. Saturday report, Earl was moving toward the west-northwest. This movement is expected to continue, with a decrease in forward speed, expected through early Sunday, Bevan wrote. A turn toward the northwest with an additional decrease in forward speed is expected Sunday through Monday.
If Earl follows the forecast track, its center is expected to pass near or north of the northern Leeward Islands Saturday, and north of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Saturday night and Sunday.
Slow strengthening is possible during the next few of days.
Earl could dump two to four inches of rain, with some spots getting six inches, across the Leeward Islands, U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend. Flash, urban and small stream flooding can’t be ruled out. Rivers in Puerto Rico could also see rapid rises from Earl, according to the center.
Gusty winds, especially in squalls, are possible across these areas this Labor Day weekend.
READ MORE: What’s ahead for hurricane season? NOAA has an update and prediction on storms
This story was originally published September 3, 2022 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Danielle returns to hurricane status. Tropical Storm Earl could bring floods to Puerto Rico."
