Tropical Storm Bret strengthens, heads for Caribbean — and another storm is likely to form

Residents of several islands in the eastern Caribbean were bracing Wednesday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Bret, which was expected to bring torrential rainfall and strong winds, along with the chances for landslides and flooding over the next couple of days.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for St. Lucia and a tropical storm watch for Barbados, Martinique and Dominica as authorities in the region urged people to prepare for Bret.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Bret had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was 415 miles east of Barbados, the National Hurricane Center said. It was churning to the west at 15 mph.

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft was investigating Bret Wednesday afternoon, which will provide a better estimate of the storm's intensity and wind field size, the hurricane center said.

There is also a system right on Bret's heels that may become the next tropical depression and storm in a matter of days, AccuWeather said.

What is the forecast for Tropical Storm Bret?

Winds are expected to increase to 65 mph over the next 12 hours, making it a strong tropical storm but remaining below the 74-mph threshold to become a hurricane.

The hurricane center said it was too soon to know where Bret’s center would pass, but it warned that up to 10 inches of rain was forecast from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe south to Grenada and Barbados. That could lead to dangerous flash flooding and mudslides.

In addition, winds of up to 65 mph were possible as Bret roars through the islands. Any wind gusts above 40 mph are capable of breaking tree limbs, and gusts approaching hurricane force (74 mph) and above can lead to roof damage, downed trees and power outages, AccuWeather said.

The government of Guadeloupe warned that inclement weather would start Thursday morning and continue until late Friday, and waves could reach up to 11 feet. “Be careful!” officials said in a statement.

On top of the wind and rain impacts, Bret was also forecast to kick up some rough surf: "Swells generated by Bret are expected to begin affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles on Thursday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the hurricane center said.

As Bret moves into the eastern Caribbean Sea after lashing the islands, weather conditions were expected to be unfavorable for further intensification.

Could Tropical Storm Bret affect mainland US?

No. The storm is far from the U.S. and is forecast to weaken then dissipate over the Caribbean Sea before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. So it's not expected to have any impact on the mainland U.S.

But clouds, showers and thunderstorms were possible in Puerto Rico from Bret, the National Weather Service in San Juan said.

Hurricane names: What will the hurricanes of the 2023 Atlantic season be named? Here's the list.

Could Tropical Storm Cindy form after Bret?

Another storm is likely to form on the heels of Tropical Storm Bret, forecasters said. If its winds reach 39 mph, it would get the next name on the list, which is Cindy.

"Environmental conditions appear conducive for further development of this system, and a tropical depression will likely form during the next couple of days," the hurricane center said.

June storms are rare in the tropical Atlantic

Bret is the farthest east a tropical storm has formed in the tropical Atlantic this early in the calendar year on record, according to Colorado State University hurricane meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.

It's unusual for a tropical system to form in the eastern part of the tropical Atlantic from a tropical wave that emerged off Africa in June. Typically, that happens in August and September, according to AccuWeather.

What's the forecast for the 2023 hurricane season?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast 12 to 17 named storms for this year’s hurricane season. It said five to nine of those storms could become hurricanes, including up to four major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

Tropical Storm Bret tracker

Spaghetti models, forecast path for Tropical Storm Bret

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, Treasure Coast Newspapers; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NWS, NOAA say Tropical Storm Bret strengthening; another storm coming