HOUSTON — Tropical Storm Oscar formed Saturday morning, making it the fifteenth named storm for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As Nadine moves into Central America, the good news is that these storms will not impact the U.S. or southeast Texas.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Nadine officially made landfall in Belize, near Belize City around 11 a.m. Saturday. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated at 60 mph from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. The NHC reports that a weather station in San Pedro in the southern Yucatan Peninsula reported a sustained wind of 55 mph and a gust of 67 mph.
Tropical Storm conditions are expected across Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula through Saturday afternoon. Nadine is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Sunday morning.
Oscar was briefly a tropical storm before it became a category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Hunters flew through the storm and found the storm was stronger in intensity. Although, relatively small in size, is currently just east of the Turks and Caicos Islands with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph. The storm will veer towards to northeast over the southeastern Bahamas and eventually head out towards the open Atlantic.
Hurricane conditions are expected for portions of the southeastern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Hurricane Oscar is expected to bring dangerous storm surge on the Turks and Caicos Islands beginning Saturday evening. Rains from Oscar are expected to spread east toward Cuba on Sunday.
Over the next few days, a ridge of high pressure will dominate the southern U.S and Gulf of Mexico and keep both systems away. There will be no threat to the U.S. from any tropical systems over the next seven days.
Here is a look at the next names for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We are still seeing activity in the tropics, an important reminder that Hurricane Season lasts until November 30th.
