A new system has formed in the central Atlantic; the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has classified and named it as Subtropical Storm Oscar. Oscar is the 7th Atlantic named storm to be classified as “subtropical” at some point during its lifetime – the most Atlantic subtropical storms in a season on record. The prior record was 5 in 1969. Fortunately, the official forecast from the NHC keeps Oscar over the open Atlantic and is of no threat to land.
As of the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, the center of Subtropical Storm Oscar was located near latitude 26.7 North, longitude 45.7 West. The storm is moving toward the north-northwest near 9 mph. A turn toward the west and west-southwest at a faster forward speed is expected by the NHC on Saturday, with this motion continuing through Sunday night.
Recent satellite wind data indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast by the NHC during the next couple of days, and Oscar could become a tropical storm on Sunday. Winds of 40 mph extend outward up to 105 miles mainly to the east of the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb or 29.68 inches.
The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season extends through to the end of November.
