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Tropical depressions take aim at East, Gulf Coasts; hurricane nears Hawaii

Doyle Rice
USA TODAY

Two separate tropical depressions will bring rain and churning seas to East and Gulf Coasts this week, and a hurricane is approaching Hawaii, forecasters said Monday.

A satellite image shows three separate tropical systems spinning in the Atlantic basin.

Both tropical depressions are forecast to become tropical storms before they reach land within the next couple of days. A tropical depression becomes a tropical storm when their wind speeds reach 39 mph. Storms become hurricanes at 74 mph.

Whichever depression reaches the wind threshold first will be named Hermine, while the other will be called Ian.

As of Monday at 5 p.m. ET, Tropical Depression 8 was about 140 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and had winds of 35 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The system, expected to reach tropical storm threshold early Tuesday, is moving to the northwest at 7 mph, the center said.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina's Outer Banks. That means tropical storm conditions are expected by Tuesday afternoon.

Drenching showers, thunderstorms and rough surf will threaten the Carolina coast over the next couple of days, AccuWeather said.

The second storm, known as Tropical Depression 9,  was about 195 miles west-southwest of Key West, Fla., as of 5 p.m. ET, had winds of 35 mph, and was moving to the west-northwest at 5 mph. It's also forecast to become a tropical storm by Tuesday.

That depression brought torrential rains to western Cuba on Monday, the hurricane center said.

The system will continue to funnel heavy rain across much of central and southern Florida this week, which could lead to flash flooding.

No watches or warnings are in effect for Tropical Depression 9, though the storm is forecast to make landfall along the northeastern Gulf Coast between Alabama and the northwestern Florida Peninsula later this week, according to AccuWeather.

“We can’t rule out that this won’t become a hurricane," said Mark Wool, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. "So people need to prepare,” he added.

"Everyone — especially those along the Gulf Coast and Big Bend — should be prepared and have a plan," said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon in a statement. "We will continue to monitor this storm and stand ready to respond to any impacts this system has on Florida communities,” he added.

Thousands of miles away, in the central Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Madeline will approach Hawaii, moving over or near the Big Island by early Thursday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

As of Monday, the storm had reached Category 3 strength, with winds of 115 mph. It was about 630 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. A hurricane watch has been hoisted for the Big Island.

Yet another hurricane, Lester, was also spinning far out in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, and could also eventually impact portions of Hawaii by the weekend.

The strongest storm currently in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Gaston, remained far out to sea Monday. The storm with winds at 105 mph was the season's first major hurricane, spinning hundreds of miles east of Bermuda. Though it's expected to weaken to a tropical storm on Tuesday, it will continue moving out to sea but could impact the Azores by the weekend.

Contributing: Jeff Burlew, The (Tallahassee) Democrat

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