Tropical Storm Philip continued its long, slow journey across the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the northern Leeward Islands, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The storm forced governments to close schools in the region, while meteorologists warned of flash floods.
Philip is then expected to orbit north into the open Atlantic Ocean later this week, likely passing the Bermuda Islands before approaching Atlantic Canada over the weekend. It is not expected to turn into a hurricane as feared on Monday.
Philip began his journey on September 23, and since the storm was slowly moving west, creeping closer to North America, AccuWeather said. Over the past few days, she has outlasted her interactions with Tropical Storm RinaThe National Hurricane Center said the storm dissipated on Sunday.
Due to ongoing tropical activity, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season “has now officially met the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) definition of an above-normal hurricane season.” Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach Monday on X. So far, 18 named storms have formed, including one in January, he said. A typical season sees 14 storms.
When storms hit:Tropical Storms Philip and Rina collide, creating the Fujihara effect. What is this?
Where is Tropical Storm Philippe located?
As of 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Phillip’s center was about 85 miles north of St. Thomas, one of the Virgin Islands. Maximum sustained winds were 45 mph, and Philip was moving northwest at 12 mph.
All tropical storm warnings and watches in the Caribbean were canceled as Philip began to withdraw from the region. Up to a foot of rain is possible on Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and the British Virgin Islands, which could lead to flash flooding, the hurricane center said.
Officials in the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda closed schools and government offices, while those in the French Caribbean territories of St. Maarten and St. Barts closed schools.
Meanwhile, officials in Guadeloupe said the storm knocked out power to 2,500 customers and left many communities without running water. It also closed two roads and left one community isolated while crews worked to reopen roads.
Gusty winds and rough, “life-threatening” waves are possible.
The hurricane center said gusty winds were likely to continue across parts of the northern Leeward Islands and Virgin Islands through Wednesday.
The Hurricane Center also warned of dangerous surf conditions along the Atlantic coasts of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through midweek. “These waves are likely to produce life-threatening surf and disrupt current conditions,” the hurricane center said.
Where is Tropical Storm Philip heading? Could he hit Canada next week?
After impacting the Caribbean, the storm will travel about 2,000 miles to the north over the next few days, where it could hit Atlantic Canada with heavy rain, strong winds and increased storm surge early next week, AccuWeather said.
Phillip is likely to head toward Atlantic Canada, possibly directly into Nova Scotia, late Sunday or Monday night, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Doty said.
A special note about the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path to the center of the storm. It does not show the full width of the storm or its effects, and the center of the storm is likely to move outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Hurricane names:What are the names of the hurricanes of the 2023 Atlantic season? Here is the list.
Spaghetti models Tropical Storm Philip
A note about spaghetti models: Model plot illustrations include a range of forecasting tools and models, and they are not all created equal. The Hurricane Center uses the four or five top-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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