TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Tropical Storm Humberto is strengthening and will likely become a hurricane later this weekend that will stay well away from the United States.
Humberto formed as a tropical storm Friday night near the Bahamas.
As of 11 p.m. Saturday, the system is about 85 miles north of Great Abaco Island with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Humberto is moving north-northwest at about 6 mph.
Officials in the Bahamas officially discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning that was in effect for the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday afternoon. That means no watches or warnings are in effect anywhere connected to Humberto.
The National Hurricane Center says Humberto will likely become a hurricane by Sunday.
A sharp turn to the northeast is expected to happen Monday, moving Humberto well away from Florida.
“The center of Humberto should continue to move away from the northwestern Bahamas Saturday night and then move well offshore of the east coast of Florida this weekend and early next week,” the NHC said.
The NHC is also monitoring a tropical wave just west of the Cabo Verde Islands, which is producing a “small area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.”
The system has a 10 percent chance of developing into a cyclone over the next 48 hours, the NHC says. Those chances increase to 50 percent over the next five days.
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