The seventh named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Gordon, has formed in the mid-Atlantic and currently does not pose a threat to land, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Gordon appeared just two days after Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
As of 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 13, Tropical Storm Gordon is less than 1,000 miles away from the Cabo Verde Islands off the coast of Africa, moving west-northwest at 12 mph.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, with winds at least 39 mph extending out 70 miles from its center. Forecast tracks indicate that Gordon will weaken to a tropical depression by Sept. 15 and regain tropical storm status a few days later, remaining well east of the Windward Islands by Sept. 18.
To earn a name, a storm must reach a certain wind speed and have organized convection. The typical Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, 7 of which are hurricanes and 3 of which are major hurricanes, according to NOAA.
NOAA predicts a 90 percent chance of higher-than-normal activity for the 2024 hurricane season, with 17 to 24 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 major hurricanes. Remnants of Hurricane Francine are expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to the southeastern U.S. over the next few days.
