Tropical Storm Josephine passes northeast of Leeward Islands on Saturday, expected to weaken

Tropical Storm Josephine was named Thursday morning, setting yet another record for the 2020 hurricane season. The earliest J-named storm on record was Jose, which developed Aug. 22, 2005.

Some key details about Josephine, as of 11 p.m. Saturday:

• Location: about 135 miles north-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands
• Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph, with stronger gusts
• Movement: west-northwest near 14 mph 
• Next advisory: 5 a.m. Sunday

The tropical storm is not considered to be a threat to Florida at this time and will "likely not pose a threat to the U.S.," the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network stated earlier.

Josephine is expected to cause storm-total rainfall of one to three inches over parts of the northern Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Isolated minor flooding is possible in Puerto Rico through Monday.

Josephine was moving west-northwest near 14 mph late Saturday, and this general motion was expected to continue for the next day or two, followed by a turn  toward the northwest and north early next week. Josephine was expected to pass to the northeast  and north of the Leeward Islands through Sunday.

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Where will Tropical Storm Josephine go?

"We expect this system to move on a curved path to the west-northwest and then to the northwest in the coming days," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert, Dan Kottlowski, said earlier.

Even if the center of the storm stays over open water, the system could pass close enough to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the Leeward Islands.

"On this forecast track, the evolving tropical storm will pass just east and north of the Leeward Islands Friday night and Saturday and pass well east of the Bahamas on Sunday," Kottlowski said.

"The center of the long-range EyePath® might be misleading and all interests in the Lesser Antilles, especially the Leeward Islands should closely monitor the progress of this system," Kottlowski said.

Residents in the area could experience gusty squalls and downpours on the southern flank of the storm, even if the center passes by to the northeast of the Leeward Islands, AccuWeather said.

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