Paulette a Likely Hurricane Threat to Bermuda, Could Bring Rip Currents to US East Coast - The Weather Channel

Paulette Continues to Strengthen and Will Threaten Bermuda as a Hurricane

Paulette is increasingly likely to threaten Bermuda as a hurricane early next week.
Hurricane conditions are expected in Bermuda by early Monday.
Paulette will cause rip currents on the U.S. East Coast.

Tropical Storm Paulette could be a direct hurricane strike on Bermuda early next week while the system stirs up waves and rip currents on the U.S. East Coast.

Hurricane Threat to Bermuda

Paulette is expected to remain at tropical storm strength through Saturday afternoon. It is being hindered right now by unfavorable upper-level winds and dry air. However, its wind shear is expected to diminish this weekend, which is expected to allow it to strengthen to a hurricane by Saturday night.

Furthermore, Paulette is expected to curl north early next week, then northeast over the Atlantic Ocean after that. How sharp that northward curl is and the timing of that turn is important, as it could bring the center of Paulette near Bermuda early next week, likely at hurricane strength.

Those in Bermuda should monitor the forecast closely as the threat of impacts is increasing.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Bermuda, which will likely see tropical storm conditions by late Sunday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the archipelago by Sunday night or early Monday.

Heavy rain will accompany Paulette as it slides by Bermuda. Rainfall totals are expected to be in the 3 to 6 inch range.

Paulette will likely bring a storm surge that could cause flooding in Bermuda on Monday.

Paulette could become a major hurricane after it leaves Bermuda.

Forecast Path

(The shaded areas denote the potential path of the center of the tropical cyclone. Impacts (particularly heavy rain, high surf, coastal flooding, winds) with any tropical cyclone usually spread beyond its forecast path.)

Swells generated by Paulette will spread from the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and to the Bahamas.

Paulette will also bring increased wave activity and the threat of rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.

Waves will be highest this weekend in Florida and northward to South Carolina, then in North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic by Monday.

Rip currents will be possible along nearly the entire U.S. East Coast through Tuesday or Wednesday. These rip currents may occur in sunny skies.

We're also watching Tropical Storm Sally in the Gulf of Mexico. The forecast for this potential hurricane threat for the Gulf Coast can be found here.

Record Early, Again

The 2005 hurricane season previously held the record earliest "P", "R" and "S" storms, Philippe on Sept. 17, Rita on Sept. 18 and Stan on Oct. 2, respectively.

After Sally, only three names are left in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season names list. Additional storms after "Wilfred" would be named after letters in the Greek alphabet starting with "Alpha". That has happened only once before, in the 2005 hurricane season.

2020 Atlantic hurricane season names list. Checkmarks show storm names already used through Sept. 12, 2020.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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