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Tropical update: Storm formation likely this weekend

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, but things may start a little earlier.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Atlantic hurricane season does not officially begin until June 1, but an area in the tropics is being watched for potential development this weekend.

The area of concern is northeast of the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center gives the system a 70% chance of further development over the next two days and 80% chance of further development over the next five days.

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system Friday, if necessary.

An area of low pressure is expected to form over the weekend in the Atlantic off the coast of the Southeast.

Conditions are favorable for this system to get a little stronger, possibly becoming a subtropical or even a tropical depression over the weekend.

A subtropical storm has some characteristics of a tropical storm, but it has a different structure. Its strongest winds are located farther from the center than a typical tropical storm.

Regardless of strength, the system will bring locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds to parts of southeastern Florida and the central and northwestern Bahamas over the next few days.

If the storm gets strong enough, it will be called Arthur.

Credit: WLTX

The disturbance is expected to move northeastward through Sunday and stay off the coast.

There will likely be a high risk for rip currents along the South Carolina coast. Life-threatening rip currents will be possible in the surf zone over the weekend.

If you are heading to the coast this weekend, follow the advice of the local beach patrol.

Early tropical and subtropical systems have been common over the last five years.

Early tropical activity does not mean it will be a busy season. However, seasonal outlooks have indicated this hurricane season may be more active than normal.

The NHC will issue its 2020 seasonal outlook on May 21.

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