FIRST ALERT: Philippe continues to move northward, another chance of development in the Atlantic

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Philippe continues to move to the north this week and could potentially pose a threat to the far northeastern portions of the United States this weekend.

The center of Tropical Storm Philippe was located by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 24.9 North, longitude 66.3 West. Philippe is moving toward the north near 10 mph.

Philippe will pick up speed through the rest of the week and take aim at Maine by the weekend.(WMBF)

This general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected through Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Philippe will pass near Bermuda on Friday, and approach eastern New England and Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts based on aircraft reconnaissance and Saildrone data. Additional gradual strengthening is forecast during the next few days. Philippe is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday as it approaches Atlantic Canada and New England.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles to the east of the center. Saildrone SD-1041, located about 100 miles east-southeast of Philippe’s center, recently measured a sustained wind of 40 mph and a gust to 47 mph. The minimum central pressure based on dropsonde data is 1005 mb.

CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT

A low-latitude tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa this weekend. Thereafter, some slow development of this system is possible as it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. The chance of development is at 30%.