Year 2005 might be a record for tropical storms and hurricanes. So far there have been five named storms and two of them have been major hurricanes. Another disturbance has reached tropical storm wind speeds. Tropical Storm Franklin is moving northwestward across Great Abaco Island in the Northwestern Bahamas. From NOAA:
AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.3 WEST OR OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF GREAT ABACO ISLAND. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 95 MILES... 150 KM...EAST OF FREEPORT ON GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND.
FRANKLIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF FRANKLIN NORTH OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS FOR ELEUTHERA... THE ABACOS... AND GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH... 75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1009 MB...29.80 INCHES.
FRANKLIN MAY PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
More details at NOAA's
Franklin Track Map page.
# posted by MapWatch @ Friday, July 22, 2005
