Tropical Storm Gaston forms in Atlantic

By Barry Alleyne | Thu, September 02, 2010 - 12:00 AM

Tropical Storm Gaston was born yesterday and by next Tuesday, could prove to be a troublesome baby boy.

The 2010 hurricane season’s seventh system became a tropical storm around 5 a.m. yesterday a few hundred miles off Africa’s west coast, and though far away in the Atlantic Ocean right now, could become a large hurricane, according to the United States’ National Hurricane Centre (NHC).

If it continues on its present path and strengthens along the way, the islands of the Lesser Antilles could possibly have to deal with the first major storm of the year.

Earl Hunte, a forecaster at Barbados’ Meteorological Department based at the Grantley Adams International Airport, informed the DAILY NATION yesterday that Gaston was quite far from any landform, since it is located at 12.1 degrees north and 37.0 degrees west, 1635 (2635 kilometres) miles from the chain of islands that make up the Eastern Caribbean.

“According to the National Hurricane Centre, there is even a chance the system could weaken because of specific conditions associated with it,” Hunte said.

The meteorologist noted that a lot of dry air to the west and the north of the system could hinder it becoming bigger.

Still, Gaston, based on its current path, should develop into a Hurricane within the next 125 hours.

“At the moment, there is absolutely no threat to any mainland. It is nowhere near coastal waters, but obviously, the NHC will keep us abreast of its movement,” Hunte added.

No warnings have been issued for any islands in the Caribbean, as it relates to Gaston’s movements. The system is moving 280 degrees in a westerly direction at 15 miles per hour, with sustained winds so far of 40 miles per hour.

The Caribbean has been spared so far this hurricane season, with the two largest systems, Earl and Fiona, not have a serious effect on any country in CARICOM.

Only yesterday, the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla all discontinued their tropical storm watches for Tropical Storm Fiona