The National Hurricane Center declared that Tropical Storm Arlene developed about 265 miles west of Fort Myers, Fla., early Friday afternoon. The storm does not pose a significant threat to land areas.
The storm — which began as a cluster of showers and thunderstorms over the central Gulf of Mexico — began to slowly organize on Thursday, when it was classified as a tropical depression. Over the warm waters of the gulf, it gained enough strength to reach tropical storm intensity Friday afternoon. But it is not predicted to develop further.
“Although the storm has strengthened slightly, we still expect Arlene to weaken soon due to increasing wind shear and dry air,” the Hurricane Center wrote in a discussion at 1 p.m. Friday. Arlene is expected to remain far enough off the western peninsula of Florida for any serious impacts. However, some of its moisture may contribute to heavy downpours into the weekend.“Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches with localized higher amounts up to 5 inches are possible through Saturday across portions of the central and southern Florida Peninsula,” the Hurricane Center wrote. “This rainfall is not directly related to Tropical Storm Arlene.
As the first storm of the Atlantic season, Arlene formed somewhat on the early side. On average, the first named storm develops around June 20. Most forecasts for the hurricane season — which peaks in late August and September — call for around 14 or 15 named storms, which is around the average number.
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