CHARLESTON, S.C. – Tropical Storm Lorenzo formed in the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the 12th named storm of the season.
Invest 97, a minor region of low pressure, gradually increased in development odds during the weekend and was projected to grow into a designated system sometime early to mid-week.
At 2 a.m. Monday, it had a 70% chance of forming within the next two days. By 5 a.m., Lorenzo had developed.
At 11 a.m. Monday, Lorenzo’s center was roughly 1150 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, at latitude 14.8 north, longitude 41.2 west.
Lorenzo experienced maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, with greater gusts. It was traveling northwest at 16 mph. This motion was forecast to continue through Monday night, with some modest slowing followed by a turn northward on Tuesday.
Lorenzo’s strength was not predicted to vary significantly on Monday, but it might gradually intensify by the middle of the week.
The storm’s estimated minimum central pressure was 1002 mb (29.59 inches).
Tropical storm force winds stretched up to 160 kilometers from Lorenzo’s center.
The storm, which is now off Africa’s west coast and is forecast to shift north shortly, is unlikely to have an impact on the United States.
The names of the next tropical cyclones on this year’s list are Melissa, Nestor, and Olga.
