‘Zombie Storm’ Fay Reforms In Atlantic As Tropical Storm Hanna Churns

Despite forecasts calling for it to weaken, Tropical Storm Fay has reformed in the Atlantic, earning it the nickname “zombie storm,” experts said.

The term “zombie storm” refers to tropical systems that weaken and die, but reorganize and regenerate later after moving back over warm water, according to AccuWeather.

This marks the second time since it first formed as a tropical storm early Sept. 20 that Fay has weakened and then come back to life in the Atlantic.

The storm weakened to a tropical depression on the afternoon of Sept. 22, and by that night, it was declared a post-tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center.

Then, Fay reorganized and strengthened into a tropical storm again late Sept. 23, forecasters said.

The system weakened into a tropical depression again by Monday, with the NHC calling for it to become a post-tropical cyclone.

But overnight, Fay again strengthened into a tropical storm.

As of Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Fay was about 1,465 miles southwest of the Azores, moving southwest across the Atlantic at 13 mph, the NHC said.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts.

“Some weakening is expected during the next day or so, and Fay is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone within 36 [hours,]” NHC forecasters said.

At the same time that Fay has revived, Tropical Storm Hanna, which formed Monday, continues to churn in the Atlantic.

As of Tuesday morning, Hanna is about 1,085 miles northeast of Bermuda and moving east-southeast across the Atlantic at about 15 mph, the NHC said.

Hanna has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph with some higher gusts.

Though “small intensity fluctuations are forecast during the next couple of days,” the system “is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by the latter part of this week,” the NHC said.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect for either Fay or Hanna.

Neither system is expected to threaten Florida, forecasters said.

“Nothing to worry about close to home. Hanna and Fay are two weak tropical storms out in the middle of the Atlantic and are not a threat to land,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, wrote in a social media post.

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