Chris becomes first hurricane of 2012 Atlantic season

CNS): Posing no threat to land Chris became the first hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic season on Thursday morning when winds reached speeds of 75mph as the storm trundled towards the northeast some 625 miles off the coast of Canada. Chris is not only the first hurricane of the season but is one of only two June hurricane’s in history to form so far north with the other being Hurricane One in 1893 according to Jeff Masters of Wunderground. Being over such cool waters however means Hurricane Chris is likely to be short lived and predicted to become a post-tropical cyclone on Friday. Meanwhile, a broad area of low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico fuelling the inclement weather in Cayman has been given a medium chance of becoming a storm during the next 2 days.

The NHC said the area of showers and thunderstorms that extends from the north-western Caribbean sea northward into the south-eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida had a medium 50 per cent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours but warned of heavy rains and localized flooding regardless.

Local weather forecasters in Cayman were calling for improved conditions and a gradual decrease in cloudiness as the area of low pressure moves into the central Gulf of Mexico away from our area.

For more on local weather go to www.weather.ky and for regional weather go to www.nhc.noaa.gov