MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Tropical Storm Colin formed Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico, churning toward Florida’s west coast, where it is expected to cross before heading into the Atlantic, officials said.
Packing sustained winds of 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour, the storm was about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving northward at nine miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said..
“Some strengthening is forecast before Colin reaches the coast of Florida,” the Miami-based NHC said in an update posted around 0001 GMT Monday. The storm is expected to dump three to five inches (7.6-12.7 centimeters) of rain along its path.
US government scientists have said more storms are expected during the coming Atlantic hurricane season that began June 1 and runs through November 30.
The Atlantic could see 10 to 16 tropical storms, of which four to eight could become hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center.
The 2015 season was considered below average, with 11 tropical storms in the Atlantic, of which four became hurricanes, and two became major hurricanes.
The long-term average, taken over the years 1981-2010, is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
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