At 11 PM on Sunday the National Hurricane Center noted the official formation of Tropical Storm Arthur off the east coast of Florida. This makes the sixth year in a row that a named tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic basin prior to the official start of the season on June 1. Arthur is expected to strengthen slowly but is not expected to reach hurricane force. The only area of the Southeast that is likely to be affected by Arthur is the North Carolina Outer Banks. In fact, sinking air outside the circulation of Arthur may lead to clear and dry conditions away from the center of the storm. Some heavy surf can also be expected along the Atlantic coast. Winds around Arthur may also interact with a front, bringing wet weather to parts of the Southeast this week, although amounts are not expected to be significant.
