Related News

Home » World

Tropical Storm Fred forms in eastern Atlantic

TROPICAL Storm Fred formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean yesterday with top winds of 40 mph (65 kph), but did not immediately threaten any land, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Fred was the sixth named tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season that runs from June through November. Forecasters said some strengthening was expected in the next couple of days.

Tropical storms become hurricanes when their top sustained winds reach 74 mph (119 kph).

At 11 pm (0300 GMT on Tuesday), Fred was centered about 245 miles (390 km) south-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and was moving west at 15 mph (24 kph). A slight gradual turn to the west-northwest and northwest was forecast over the next two days, the center said.

"Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days," it said.

Fred's anticipated immediate track would keep it far from the Gulf of Mexico, where US oil and gas operations are clustered.

Energy traders keep a close eye on storms that could enter the Gulf of Mexico and disrupt offshore US oil and natural gas production or refinery operations along the coast.

Also, commodities traders watch storms that could damage agriculture crops such as citrus and cotton in Florida and other states along the coast to Texas.

Pricing of insurance-linked securities, which transfer insurance risks associated with natural disasters to capital markets investors and can be used to hedge other weather risk exposures, can also be affected by the path of a storm.



 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend