The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is advising that with recent development challenges, Tropical Storm Bret will not hit hurricane strength on its approach to the Caribbean.

In its latest projections for the system this morning (June 20), the NHC indicated that as it maintains a beeline toward St Lucia and Martinique, Bret may dissipate in the central Caribbean Sea as it loses its momentum.

Andy Hazelton, assistant scientist at the University of Miami (UM) Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), suggested on Twitter that climate-influenced trade winds may be responsible for the decoupled swirl affecting Bert.

“Looks like #Bret wants to join Chris (2006) and Isaac (2018) in the inglorious ranks of decoupled/naked swirl El Niño MDR storms haha. Although to be fair I think this one is more just driven by climatologically-strong June trade winds for now,” he surmised.

Notwithstanding, Bret packs maximum sustained winds near 65 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts, on its westward path towards the Eastern Caribbean.

Some strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Bret is expected to remain at tropical storm strength when it reaches the Lesser Antilles on Thursday into Thursday night.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 75 kilometres from its center.