The first hurricane of the 2022 season has formed in the open waters of the north Atlantic.
Danielle strengthened overnight and became a hurricane as of the 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
As of 11 a.m., the low-end category 1 hurricane had maximum sustained winds at 75 mph with higher gusts. It was located about 1,500 miles east of the U.S. East Coast and nearly stationary, moving to the west at 1 mph — a rate and path it is expected to maintain through the weekend.
There is no threat of landfall.
Forecasters say Danielle could grow to a Category 2 storm by Labor Day before weakening over the cooler Atlantic waters.
Although Danielle will eventually move northward over cooler waters along with other unfavorable conditions, hurricane status is still possible through the middle of the week.
There are still two other areas of potential development in the tropics east of the Leeward Islands and just off Africa near the Cabo Verde Islands. Both areas could better organize the next few days, but they do not pose an immediate threat to land.
On average, the first hurricane occurs by mid to late August. Although conditions have seemed quiet so far, the peak of season lies ahead, and we should remain prepared.
FPREN chief meteorologist Jeff George contributed to this report.
