On Sunday afternoon, Tropical Storm Gert formed about 350 miles NE of the Bahamas. At 5pm Sunday, max sustained winds were at 40 mph and Gert was moving NNW at 10 mph. Gert is expected to strengthen further as it moves north and eventually northeast, shooting the gap between the U.S. mainland and Bermuda. It is not a threat to land at this point.

As we head toward the peak of hurricane season the Atlantic basin is heating up. A new wave (Invest 91L) has emerged off the coast off Africa; and while it is a long way away, it bears watching as it moves westward over the next week and a half. This wave should have a pretty favorable environment for development at times as it makes its way across the Atlantic. It is far too early to speculate what may become of Invest 91L, but we’ll be watching it closely.