TAMPA, Fla.- The center of Tropical Storm Paulette was located near latitude 17.2 North, longitude 42.2 West. Paulette is moving toward the west-northwest near 3 mph (6 km/h). A general west-northwestward to northwestward motion at a slightly faster speed is expected during the next several days.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Modest additional strengthening is expected during the next couple of days.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).
THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.
Paulette has moved very little during the past few hours, but a west-northwestward to northwestward motion is expected to resume shortly. Fluctuations in the strength of a mid-level ridge over the western and central Atlantic will likely cause Paulette’s exact speed and heading to fluctuate during the next several says, but the guidance agrees that it should generally head northwestward through the end of the week. It is likely that the stronger Paulette gets, the farther north it will move since the aforementioned upper-level trough will have a greater influence on its track. The NHC track forecast is based on a blend of the previous forecast and the latest multi-model consensus.
We will be updating this advisory and tracking this storm.
