Philippe, the erratic tropical storm that first formed 13 days ago and brought widespread flooding to the eastern Caribbean – from Dominica and Guadeloupe westward to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – for the first half of this week is transitioning into a much larger extratropical storm system and setting a weekend collision course for Maine and Atlantic Canada.
Today the storm is bringing rain squalls and tropical storm conditions to Bermuda as the broad center makes it closest pass to the archipelago by this afternoon. Philippe has begun its transition into an extratropical storm, with most of its weather far removed from the naked swirls of low-level clouds rotating around its broader center. At this stage, Philippe is getting increasing support from the upper levels of the atmosphere, where a nearby jet stream dip will help to strengthen the storm system as it sheds its remaining tropical shell.
Philippe’s low-pressure center will interact and eventually merge with a non-tropical low-pressure system to its west and bend back toward Maine and New Brunswick for Saturday and Sunday. The result will be a powerful coastal storm system expected to bring nor’easter like conditions beginning late Saturday Downeast through the Gulf of Maine and into the Bay of Fundy. Localized heavy rainfall – up to 6 inches in spots – will accompany the gusty winds as the coastal storm system interacts with an advancing cold front over the weekend.
Last hurrah for the eastern Atlantic?
A tropical wave rolling off Africa today will have a window for some development into early next week. The hurricane season is getting a little long in the tooth for systems this far east in the tropical Atlantic. This may be the last hurrah for this part of the tropical Atlantic but regardless of development, models anticipate the system will be short-lived and poses no threat to land.
Elsewhere, we’re not seeing any concerning areas across the Atlantic into the first part of next week.
