ORLANDO, Fla. _ A nor'easter off the New England coast became Subtropical Storm Melissa and caused coastal flooding along portions of the mid-Atlantic Coast and southeaster New England, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The 13th named storm of the 2019 Atlantic season was 210 miles south of Nantucket, Mass., and has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, as of the 5 p.m. EDT Friday update.
Melissa is moving southwest at about 3 mph as the center moves away from the East Coast, the NHC said.
The storm is expected to produce strong winds, coastal flooding, heavy rainfall, and rough surf along portions of New England, the NHC said.
A subtropical storm differs from a tropical system by way of its broader wind patterns and maximum sustained winds located farther from its core, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Melissa has 40 mph winds extending 345 miles away from the center, the NHC said.
The storm is expected to turn toward the east-northeast direction with an accelerated forward speed Friday night.
Gradual weakening is forecast over the weekend.
The NHC is monitoring two other areas of the Atlantic that should soon produce two new disturbances.
The first is a broad area of low pressure is expected to form in the west Caribbean over the weekend. It is forecast to drift westward toward the coasts of Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize.
The disturbance has a 20% chance of development over the next five days.
The second is a tropical wave expected to move off the west coast of Africa Sunday, Berg said.
The far eastern Atlantic does not have the right conditions for tropical development during this time of the year, but development for the system is still possible early next week as it moves northwestward near the Cabo Verde Islands, Berg said.
The system also contains a 30% chance of development over the next five days.
