Tropical Storm Sara forms in Caribbean, could become rare November hurricane in Gulf

A tropical depression in the Caribbean Sea became Tropical Storm Sara on Thursday, forecasters said, and poses no immediate threat to South Mississippi even though the storm will likely reach the Gulf of Mexico.

“We’re not expecting any local impacts from this storm,” the National Weather Service in Slidell said on social media, “but continue to monitor the forecast for changes.”

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Sara will stall near Honduras through this weekend. Its future strength depends on how long it stays over land.

The storm could near hurricane strength by Friday, when it moves closer to Honduras. The National Hurricane Center said it was too soon to say how the system might impact the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but asked Florida and Cuba residents to watch the forecast closely.

Storms so late in the season are rare. But Sara follows Hurricane Rafael, which pounded through the Caribbean last week and later fell apart in the Gulf of Mexico.

This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 8:53 AM.