A new disturbance emerges from the African coast as Hurricane Ian disintegrates. By. NOAA
Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida Wednesday afternoon and left at least 21 dead before moving to South Carolina, has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone by the National Hurricane Center. However no sooner than Ian's dissipation, a new system has left the African coast and NHC says weather conditions appear conducive for development.
According to NHC, the tropical wave is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the far eastern tropical Atlantic.
"Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form early next week as the system moves westward to west-northwestward over the eastern tropical Atlantic," reads the 2:00 p.m. Friday advisory.
NHC has given the system a 10 percent chance of development through the next 48 hours, and a 60 percent chance of development through the next five days.
Regarding Ian, NHC said at 5:00 p.m. that the center of post-tropical was moving toward the north near 15 mph. Ian is forecast to move farther inland overnight over eastern South Carolina, move across central North Carolina early tomorrow and western Virginia by early Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 70 mph with higher gusts. These winds are occurring primarily over water. Ian should continue to weaken overnight and dissipate over western North Carolina or Virginia late tomorrow.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km) from the center. A WeatherFlow station at Oak Island, North Carolina recently reported sustained winds of 54 mph with a gust to 78 mph.