Ana becomes first named storm of 2021 hurricane season

Subtropical storm Ana, the first named storm of the season, has formed northeast of the Bahamas roughly one week before the start of hurricane season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Ana, a slow-moving system, was traveling west-southwest at about 3 miles per hour. Ana is expected to move slowly and erratically through Saturday night, the NHC said, and then accelerate and move northeast Sunday and Monday. The Bermuda Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the island and Tropical Strom conditions are possible today on Bermuda, the NHC said.

“Heavier rain and stronger winds will likely stay to the northeast of the islands,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty said.

Ana has sustained winds of 45 mph with winds of 40 mph extending about 205 miles from the storm’s center. Forecasters aren’t expecting much change in the system Saturday. Ana is expected to weaken Saturday night and Sunday and dissipate in a couple of days due to wind shear, according to the NHC.

Subtropical storm Ana has formed northeast of Bermuda, according to The National Hurricane Center. The other system the NHC was watching has made landfall over southeastern Texas and isn’t expected to develop further

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Ana isn’t expected to threaten the United States.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June through November. This is the seventh consecutive year a storm has formed before the June 1 start of the season.

The low pressure system that was in the Gulf of Mexico and being watched by forecasters is now over land in southeastern Texas and as of 8 a.m. Saturday it isn’t expected to develop further. However, it’s expected to bring heavy rain to southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana on Saturday.

The 2021 hurricane season prediction from experts at Colorado State University projects an above-average season, with 17 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

Among the reasons for the above-average 2021 storm predictions, according to experts, are the storm-sheering winds of an El Niño weather pattern and warmer-than-normal water in the subtropical Atlantic.