SEBASTIAN – Tropical Storm Maria formed in the Atlantic Saturday afternoon, and hurricane trackers in Sebastian and Vero Beach say it’s already taking the same path as Irma.
Tropical Storm Maria was named during a 5:00 p.m. update by National Hurricane Center. Forecasters say it will likely bring dangerous winds, storm surge, and heavy rain to parts of the Lesser Antilles next week.
Hurricane watches were issued for Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat.
By Wednesday, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico could again face fierce winds with Maria expected to become another major hurricane.
It’s still way too soon to know what impact Florida and the U.S. might face from Maria, if any, as it continues to take a similar track as Irma.
Spaghetti model projections are so far out and can often be hundreds of miles off. But an early run of the European model takes the storm toward Florida.