A rain storm lurking off the Bahamas could strengthen and impact South Carolina – Charleston Post Courier

A rain storm lurking off the Bahamas could become a tropical cyclone this week with the potential to land along the Southeast coast.

The National Hurricane Center gave the storm a 40 percent chance of turning into at least a tropical depression a weak tropical storm, within five days as it drifts across the Bahamian islands toward Florida.

The Hurricane Center put its potential track anywhere from the Florida Straits below Miami, to out to sea off Bermuda.

In the warm Gulf Stream waters, cyclones historically have churned up quickly from slow drifting storms to threaten the South Carolina coast.

Weather patterns that would steer the storm have become tricky to read. If the storm begins to drift up the Florida coast, it could bring at least heavy rain and maybe gusty winds to South Carolina in the days ahead, said meteorologist Shea Gibson, of WeatherFlow, a Charleston-based company.

However, weather moving across the country should push it out to sea Thursday or Friday, said Gibson and meteorologist Bob Henson, of Weather Underground.

The storm is the second of three in the ocean Monday. Ahead of it, the remnants of Tropical Storm Harvey were approaching the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico with a good chance of re-emerging as a tropical storm. Behind it, a third storm was forecast to stay out to sea.

Reach Bo Petersen Reporter at Facebook, @bopete on Twitter or 1-843-937-5744.

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A rain storm lurking off the Bahamas could strengthen and impact South Carolina - Charleston Post Courier