Subtropical storm Nicole forms northeast of the Bahamas

The National Weather Services announced on Monday that a subtropical storm named Nicole has started forming in the Northeast of the Bahamas. It will gradually turn into a full-fledged subtropical storm on Tuesday when the midterm elections begin. The Weather Service says it will last through the week and may result in conditions similar to Hurricane Ian in Northeast Florida.

The NWS said that the center of the storm was near latitude 25.5 North and longitude 68.5 West. It is moving north-northwest at a speed of 14 miles per hour. It is expected to turn further northeast on Monday and its forward speed is expected to decrease due to it.

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Later on Tuesday and through early Thursday, the storm will move westwards or southwestwards. 

It means that the storm will approach the northwest Bahamas on Tuesday and move through them on Wednesday to reach the east coast of Florida by Wednesday night. 

A subtropical storm system has the characteristics of both a purely tropical storm and a winter-time area of low pressure. The NWS says that Nicole is expected to turn into a purely tropical storm in the next few days as it approaches Florida.

The intensity of the storm is expected to be like a hurricane on Wednesday night when it moves over the Bahamas. The centre of the storm has a maximum sustained windspeed of 45 mph as per the current forecast. The central pressure of the storm is projected at 1004 Mb.

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Nicole will turn into a large storm, and even though its path might change later, a heavy impact is expected from it. There will likely be coastal flooding, heavy rainfall, high wind speed, rough surf and rip currents, as well as beach erosion. The southwestern US coats, the Florida coasts, and northwestern and central Bahamas are likely to be impacted as a result. 

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the northwest Bahamas, and later today, more watches may be needed for other areas of the Bahamas and the Florida coast.