GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's a little early, but Andrea is out there even though hurricane season doesn't start until June. The subtropical storm formed on Monday afternoon in the open Atlantic Ocean, south of Bermuda.
The first tropical system of the 2019 season packs winds at only 40 miles per hour, which barely makes it a tropical system. It's located east of the Bahamas, and south of Bermuda. It will not be a threat to the United States.
The track of the system will take it north and east closer to Bermuda by Wednesday. For them, the impacts will be some gusty winds and lots of heavy rain. Again, there won't be any impacts here in the United States.
What makes this a "suptropical" storm? It's a small distinction used by scientists that has to do with the structure of the storm. The effects and impacts are the same as a normal tropical storm.
Even though it still isn't hurricane season, this marks the 5th year in a row with a storm forming ahead of June 1st. Over the past few years there's been: Alberto (May 2018), Arlene (April 2017), Alex (January 2016), Bonnie (May 2016) and Ana (May 2015).
NOAA will issue its 2019 Atlantic hurricane season forecast later this week. In April, Colorado State University hurricane researchers predicted a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season.
