Forecasters eye system expected to become tropical storm

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a system expected to become the second named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season by Tuesday afternoon.

Chief Meteorologist Bill Walsh said the path of the storm keeps it far south of the United States.

The system, currently dubbed Potential Tropical Cyclone Two, was moving west-northwest well to the north of French Guiana Monday night.

As of 7 p.m., the storm was approximately 670 miles east of Trinidad with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and a minimum central pressure of 29.80 inches.

The system is moving toward the west-northwest near 18 mph.

The forecast calls for the system to pass near or over portions of the southern Winward Islands by late Tuesday and move over the southern Caribbean Sea or near the northern coast of Venezuela on Wednesday or Thursday.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and its dependencies.

By the time it approaches the southern coast of Nicaragua by Friday night, it will likely have become a category one hurricane.

The system is expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday afternoon, at which point it would take the name Bonnie, the second name on the 2022 hurricane season list.

The National Hurricane Center said as of Monday night there was a 70 percent chance it will develop into a tropical storm within the next 48 hours.

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