Amid the rapidly strengthening Tropical Storm Bret, which aims for the Eastern Caribbean this weekend, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) says that a tropical wave following directly behind is also likely to develop into a stronger system.

The NHC, in its weather outlook this morning (June 20), indicated that the system, designated Invest93, continues to show gradual signs of organisation several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

A tropical depression is poised to form “during the next couple of days” as it meets favourable environmental conditions on its westward journey across the warm waters of the central Atlantic Ocean.

Development chances for Invest93 have also skyrocketed over the last 24 hours; currently at a ‘high’ threshold with 70 and 80 per cent likelihood over the next two-to-seven days.

Cindy will be the next available name on the 2023 Hurricane Season list.

On its inevitable approach to the Eastern Caribbean, Tropical Storm Bret has slowed its forward speed marginally and grown in size and power as at 5:00 am Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on Tuesday.

According to NHC satellite data, the centre of TS Bret was located near latitude 11.7 North, longitude 44.7 West—or roughly 1,815 kilometres east of the southern Windward Islands.

Bret is now moving west at 28 kilometres/hour and packs maximum sustained winds near 65 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 75 kilometres
from the centre.

On the forecast track, Bret is anticipate to reach hurricane strength as early as Thursday morning.

Computer-generated projections suggest Barbados may first experience Bret’s outer bands around Thursday night before the regressed tropical storm needles through waters between St Lucia and Martinique.

At the time of publication, no storm watches or warnings have been activated.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Meteorological Service advised that early projections bring Tropical Storm Bret close to Jamaica by about Monday of next week.

The Met Service urged residents to monitor its progress over the next few days.

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