Surprise! Tropical Storm Don Forms Out Over The Atlantic

This mess of clouds in the Atlantic Ocean east of the
Windward Islands is Tropical Storm Don
which formed Monday. Don't expect big things from this one.

Things named Don lately tend to be full of bluster and ineffective.

I'm talking about Tropical Storm Don.

Don formed today, somewhat unexpectedly, east of the Windward Islands in the central Atlantic Ocean.

I say somewhat unexpectedly because some forecasters never thought it would amount to anything.

Other forecasts, and several computer forecasting models, did predict a weak tropical storm in the past couple of days.

Don't expect really big things from Tropical Storm Don. It was tiny, and barely strong enough to be a tropical storm as of 5 p.m. Monday.

It might strengthen a little tonight and Tuesday, but strong upper level winds are likely to rip Don to shreds once it gets into the eastern Caribbean Sea.

It's pretty damn early to already have had four tropical storms in the Atlantic by mid-July. However, including what we expect to happen with Don, three of these storms were very weak and short-lived, and caused little harm.

Things might change starting in August, when we start getting into the heart of hurricane season.