Tropical Storm Bret forms over central Atlantic
TAMPA, Fla. - Tropical Storm Bret formed in the central Atlantic Monday afternoon with the storm expected to become a hurricane.
As of the 5 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center was reporting 35 mph winds as it moves west at 21 mph. The storm is expected to move across the Lesser Antilles as a hurricane on Thursday and Friday.
The NHC said it's forecast to bring a risk of flooding from heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds and dangerous storm surge and waves to the Caribbean.
"Ultimately, either we get a turn towards the north, and it just heads into the North Atlantic, and it's not an issue for the US at all, or it gets into the Caribbean and just fights a ton of wind shear," FOX 13 Meteorologist Tyler Eliasen said.
Eliasen said there is a lot of wind shear towards the Caribbean and even in the Gulf of Mexico, which is a common setup when you have an El Niño developing in the Eastern Pacific.
"So it does protect us somewhat, so level of concern for this right now – pretty low," Eliasen said.
FOX 13 will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Bret as the forecast continues to develop over the week. Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said Bret is now the record holder for earliest named storm this far east in the tropical Atlantic.
There's also a tropical wave currently being monitored in the eastern Atlantic. NHC said it's producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorm – which could form into another tropical depression in a couple of days.