Yet Another Storm Is Forming Behind Hurricane Irma

While Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean early Wednesday morning and is making its way toward Puerto Rico and southern Florida, another tropical storm is forming in Irma’s wake.

Tropical Storm Jose has formed in the open Atlantic not far from Hurricane Irma, and the National Weather Service says it is expected to gain strength and “likely become a hurricane by Wednesday night.”

If the tropical storm does indeed strengthen into a hurricane as predicted, it will become the fifth hurricane of the 2017 season.

The National Weather Service is also telling residents of Leeward Islands to monitor Jose closely, as it is uncertain how close the storm will come to the islands before slowing down and turning northwest.

Residents of the Leeward Islands were also warned earlier this week to watch for Hurricane Irma, which is currently making its way through the Caribbean and toward Florida.

Irma is expected to make landfall in Puerto Rico by Wednesday evening, and reach Florida by Saturaday morning.

Florida governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Florida, and a mandatory evacuation has begun in the Keys.

Six islands in the Bahamas (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island) have ordered mandatory evacuations as well.

“If ever there was a storm to take seriously in the Keys, this is it,” Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt said in a statement released by the county. “The sooner people leave, the better.”

Photo Credit: NASA