MIAMI _ Tropical Storm Don is beginning to fizzle less than a day after it formed, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Tuesday morning.
The storm, located 155 miles southeast of Barbados at 11 a.m., had slowed to sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving west at about 20 mph, forecasters said. A hurricane hunter plane sent to investigate reported that the compact storm had become less defined and may even lack a center. The plane will take a second look later Tuesday to determine whether Don remains a tropical storm.
Even in its weakened state, Don is expected to dump heavy rain on the Windward Islands when it crosses later tonight, increasing the risk of dangerous mudslides. Rainfall could reach as much as six inches, with higher amounts in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and the southern Windward Islands through Wednesday.
As it enters the southeastern Caribbean, forecasters say Don will encounter dry air and high upper winds likely to shred it by the end of the week. They expect the storm to weaken to a depression in a day and fizzle completely within 36 hours.
The fourth named storm of the season did not take long to draw the attention of the Twittersphere, which began cranking out jokes about one of its most high profile users, President Donald Trump. Political commentator Ana Navarro called the storm a "lot of hot air, going around in circles" while others posted pictures of the president's windblown hair.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A watch is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia and Bonaire.
Forecasters are also keeping an eye on a second tropical wave several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands off the African coast. The system could pick up intensity, although at this point forecasters are putting the odds of a cyclone forming at just 40 percent over the next five days.
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