Natalie Paris, The Daily Telegraph, June 6, 2013
Holidaymakers in Florida have been advised to keep an eye on weather reports after forecasts show a tropical storm is on the way.
The storm, named Andrea, is the first tropical storm of hurricane season expected to make land from the Atlantic and, while there is a chance sporadic tornadoes could occur, it is not expected to become hurricane strength.
Forecasters have predicted that there could be double the usual number of hurricanes this year however, due to the Atlantic being warmer than normal.
Tropical Storm Andrea is expected to hit Florida’s west coast and southern Georgia today.
Advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office states: “Strong winds, heavy rain and flooding is expected. Sporadic tornadoes are possible.
“You should pay attention to weather reports on radio and TV and follow the advice of local authorities.”
The most up-to-date information is found on the US National Hurricane Centre website ( www.nhc.noaa.gov ).
Hurricane season usually runs from June to November. Last week, forecasters at the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that this will be “an active or extremely active” season for storms .
Their calculations showed however, that even in September, the busiest month for hurricanes, the chance of encountering one on one of the more hurricane-prone Caribbean islands is 50 to 1.
