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Next 24 hours key as Tropical Storm Danny may strengthen

E-mail|Link|Comments () August 27, 2009 12:38 PM

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

Tropical Storm Danny, which is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to the region on Saturday, has a window of opportunity over the next 24 hours to strengthen into a hurricane, forecasters said today.

Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Taunton, urged residents from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast to be alert for Danny’s potential to strengthen. This morning, Danny had top sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and was 550 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C

In the next 24 hours, it could become a hurricane off the coast of the Carolinas. While expected not to be as strong as Hurricane Bill, whose remnants brushed New England last weekend, Danny may be a little closer to the coast.

The wind and heavy rain expected Saturday will coincide with the Boston funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy, which will bring a crush of dignitaries and other mourners to the city.

“The exact track of this storm is still to be determined,” Feltgen said. “Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island are still in the cone,'' or the projected track of the storm. “The models are in very good agreement that the storm will remain off-shore, but that’s not the absolute final word.”

One aspect of the storm is a definite – the ocean waters will be churning.

“The storm will certainly be affecting the coastline Saturday,” he said. “Expect some rough seas; everyone should monitor the progress of this storm.”