Tropical Storm Gonzalo has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, the earliest such “G” storm in hurricane season history.
Gonzalo first strengthened to tropical storm status on Wednesday and as of that afternoon was moving west at 14 miles per hour and packing 50 mph sustained maximum winds. The system is a small cyclone with tropical storm-force winds only extending up to 25 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Gonzalo is expected to move near or over the southern Windward Islands this weekend and could bring direct impacts from winds and heavy rainfall,” the center said. The storm is predicted to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday before weakening again to a tropical storm.
