Tropical Storm Chantal was moving rapidly toward the Lesser Antilles early Monday after forming late Sunday over the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 5 a.m., Chantal had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as it moved west at 26 mph about 705 miles east-southeast of Barbados.
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A tropical storm warning was in effect for Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Saint Vincent.
The center of Chantal is expected to approach the Lesser Antilles late Monday or early Tuesday before moving into the eastern Caribbean Sea later on Tuesday. Some increase in strength is expected over the next 48 hours.
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Chantal is expected to bring between two and four inches of rain over the Leeward and Windward Islands with maximum amounts of six inches possible.
While South Florida remains in the long-range forecast cone, there is a lot of uncertainty five days out.
There is the potential for upper-level wind shear or land interaction that could significantly weaken, or even dissipate, the tropical storm. At this point, the official forecast never calls for Chantal to reach hurricane strength.
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Photo Credit: NOAA