Tropical Storm Bret strengthens slightly, but is no longer forecast as a hurricane

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two systems in the Atlantic Ocean that could become more severe storms. One of the systems tropical storm Bret, One is expected to hit the Lesser Antilles and Barbados in the next few days, while another will likely become a tropical depression.

Bret, currently a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, was expected to strengthen further into a hurricane when the National Hurricane Center issued a forecast Tuesday morning. But by early Tuesday afternoon, forecasters said that would likely no longer be the case.

“Bret is moving toward the west near 18 mph,” the National Hurricane Center said in its latest forecast. “On the forecast track, the center of Bret is expected to move across parts of the Lesser Antilles Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, then move across the eastern Caribbean Sea on Friday.”

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Barbados and means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. The NHC said more tropical storm watches are likely to come later on Tuesday.

If he still finds a way to become a hurricane, Bret, who is currently the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, would be the first named hurricane it’s from the season

The storm is expected to approach the islands of the Lesser Antilles “through early Thursday morning” before moving through them overnight as a tropical storm, the national forecast service said. The Lesser Antilles is made up of numerous island nations and territories, including the US Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

Flooding, strong winds and dangerous waves continue to be a risk on those islands, forecasters warned.

“Given the higher-than-usual uncertainty in the tracking and intensity forecasts, it is too early to specify the location and magnitude of where the associated hazards from Bret could occur. However, all in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and the Islands Virgins should closely follow Bret’s forecast updates,” the forecasters said.

The second system, called AL93, is a tropical wave “several hundred miles” from the Cape Verde Islands. The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning that conditions surrounding that system appear as if “a tropical depression will likely form over the next few days.” Starting at 5 p.m.

According to NOAA, tropical waves they are when large areas of relatively low pressure move from east to west across the tropics. These systems can lead to tropical cyclones. It becomes a tropical cyclone when maximum sustained winds reach 38 mph.

Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams told “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday that Bret is a “one of a kind” storm.

“Usually we don’t get our second named storm until mid-July. Plus, it formed in the Atlantic, where storms tend to start much later,” he said. “And the first hurricane of the season doesn’t usually happen until August.”

Last year’s first named hurricane, Danielle, did not form until September.

Abrams said the reason for this early start is twofold: low shear and warm waters. Both factors have become more present this year with The return of El Nino.

“Things can change quickly, so now is the time to prepare,” he said.