Tropical Storm Vicky forms off Africa; expected to be 'short-lived'

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Vicky in the Atlantic Ocean has grown stronger than expected, forecasters said early Tuesday while maintaining that the system is to weaken over the next few days.

In a 2 a.m. CVT advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Vicky was located 455 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northwest at 7 mph.

Vicky, which had previously been known as tropical depression 21, is the 20th tropical storm of the 2020 season and set a new early record for a "V" named storm. It was formed off the western coastline of Africa and strengthened into a tropical storm on Monday.

The NHC said it expects Vicky to dissipate by mid-week.

"Weakening is forecast due to strong upper-level winds during the next 48 hours, and Vicky is likely to degenerate into remnant low by Wednesday," it said.

The NHC has said it expects Vicky to be "short-lived."

Vicky is not expected to affect land.

The storm joins several others that are in the Atlantic Basin: Tropical Storms Sally and Teddy, Hurricane Paulette and Tropical Depression Rene. There are also two other disturbances, one near the African coast and one in the Gulf of Mexico.

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