Tropical weather calms in the Atlantic, but a distubance over Florida is affecting the SC coast

A disturbance over the Florida Peninsula that has been moving north over the last few days has seen its chances of becoming a tropical cyclone reduced in the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update, but it is still causing coastal effects in the Lowcountry.

The system is currently given a 20 percent chance of developing in the next five days, and the area in which it might develop has become much more localized as it has moved over central Florida.

Even though it is unlikely at this point that it will ever see named status it is already causing issues along the Lowcountry coast.

The National Weather Service in Charleston issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook at 8 a.m. advising of moderate rip current risk through this evening and elevated risk through early next week, especially on Sunday.

The weather service also advised of the potential for minor to moderate coastal flooding due to increased tides, with the worst of it falling Sunday afternoon/evening into Monday. A high surf advisory might also eventually be needed according to the weather service.

Tropical Storm Maria

Since the hurricane center’s 11 a.m. update on Friday not much has changed about Tropical Storm Maria. It is still sporting sustained winds of 60 mph with gusts up to 69 mph.

Tropical weather track

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Source: National Hurricane Center

The storm is now moving east-northeast at 32 mph and is about 500 miles south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. It is expected to gradually weaken while maintaining tropical storm strength through the next three days, at which point the hurricane center believes that it will fall apart and be absorbed by another weather pattern.

There are no coastal watches or warnings associated with Maria.

Lee and more

Once a major hurricane, Lee is now a post tropical cyclone. That doesn’t mean that it has fallen apart completely, only that it has moved so far north that it has lost its tropical characteristics, according to the hurricane center.

Tropical weather track

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Source: National Hurricane Center

The storm is still packing sustained winds of 50 mph, with gusts up to 63 mph. Those wind speeds would qualify it for tropical storm status if not for its high northern latitude.

The cooler waters that Lee is currently moving over are taking their toll, though, and the storm is expected to dissipate completely by Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the eastern Caribbean, a tropical system that was originally given a slight 20 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next five days has seen those chances fall to zero, though the hurricane center is still keeping an eye on it as of their 8 a.m. update.

This story was originally published September 30, 2017 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Tropical weather calms in the Atlantic, but a distubance over Florida is affecting the SC coast."