TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Nigel is on track to becoming the next hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic season, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In its 11 a.m. advisory, the NHC said Tropical Storm Nigel strengthened again with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, a jump from earlier in the morning.
The center of Tropical Storm Nigel was said to be about 990 miles northeast of the Lesser Antilles as it moved north-northwest at 13 mph.
“Nigel is expected to become a major hurricane by the middle of the week, but will move toward the north and be a fish storm,” Eric Stone, a meteorologist with Nexstar’s WFLA, said. A “fish storm” refers to a storm that doesn’t threaten land, but could cause problems for fishermen or along shipping routes.
Meanwhile, the NHC is tracking another area of interest off the west coast of Africa. A tropical wave there is expected to move off the coast Wednesday and could be a tropical depression later this week, according to forecasters.
The NHC said that system currently has a 40% chance of development over the next seven days.
