Caribbean Islands Brace for Tropical Storm Tammy; Norma Threatens Baja California

Tropical Storm Tammy has formed with winds of 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour in the central Atlantic where it is forecast to take a sweeping turn to the north, the US National Hurricane Center said. As it traces that arc across the basin, it will hit several of the small islands in the region known collectively as the Lesser Antilles during the next few days.

Tropical storm watches have been posted for Barbados, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, the center said. Many of these watches will turn to warnings later as storm conditions become imminent.

Tammy should bring three to six inches of rain across the islands with some isolated areas getting as much as 10 inches through late Saturday, the hurricane center said. The US and British Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico, could get one to two inches with some isolated areas getting as much as four inches.

The storm will then create a c-shape across the Atlantic emerging into the open ocean next week as at least a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph.

In other weather news:

Eastern Pacific: Norma has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane with winds of 120 miles per hour, the hurricane center said. Category 3 Norma is forecast to sweep north, weakening as it does, before possibly making landfall near Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California early Sunday. The storm will bring heavy rain to the region starting late Friday.

Western Pacific: Tropical Storm Sanba is meandering around the Gulf of Tonkin.

US: Record high temperatures are forecast across the west, and heat advisories are in place along coastal and inland areas of central and Southern California. Downtown Los Angeles could reach 91F degrees Thursday, while nearby Burbank could get to 93.

Europe: Most of the European continent, apart from coastal areas, are forecast to get above-average temperatures for the rest of this week, while the Nordic region will remain colder than normal, according to forecaster Maxar.