Hurricane Fred Holding Steady in the Atlantic

Fred is officially the second hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, but he’s not likely to pay the United States a visit anytime soon.

With maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, Fred was located near the Cape Verde Islands at 2 p.m. Monday. The storm is moving northwest at 12 mph with a projected path that will take it further out into the Atlantic by week’s end.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say Fred should maintain hurricane force through Tuesday. After that, he’s expected to downgrade to a tropical storm before becoming a depression on Friday.

Whether or not Fred will strengthen again after that and continue on a forward course remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay area remains under a flood watch until 8 p.m. Monday. Forecasters at the National Weather Service say heavy rain is anticipated throughout the region through Tuesday.

For a complete look at the forecast for your neighborhood, visit your local Patch’s homepage.

Graphic courtesy of the National Hurricane Center