Tropical Storm Bret formed far out in the central Atlantic Ocean Monday, where government forecasters say it is likely to absorb energy from warm waters and intensify as it tracks east.
Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center said there’s a lot of uncertainty in computer forecast models, but they advised people in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and nearby islands to monitor Bret closely. While Bret could reach hurricane strength, forecasters said that midweek, the storm may encounter some wind shear, which may inhibit strengthening.
Forecasters said one set of models tended to put the storm on a more rightward leaning track with increased intensity. Another set of European models, which had a more leftward track, showed significant weakening.
“The latest forecast remains a low confidence prediction,” wrote Hurricane Specialists Eric Blake and Larry Kelly.
At 5 p.m., eastern time the center of Bret was nearly 1,300 miles east of the southern Windward Islands, racing west at 21 miles-per-hour. Top sustained winds were estimated
Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.