Tropical Storm Gonzalo sets a record as it churns toward the Caribbean

Gonzalo is expected to become a hurricane by Thursday.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/22/weather/tropical-storm-gonzalo-forecast-earliest-named/index.html

By Virginia Langmaid and Judson Jones, CNN
Updated 5:56 PM ET, Wed July 22, 2020

•••••

Tropical Depression Seven strengthened into Tropical Storm Gonzalo on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

•••••

This is the earliest that a storm has received a name starting with the letter "G" since the United States began using a named-storm system in 1953. On average, the seventh named storm in a season is on September 16.

The previous record for the earliest seventh named storm formation in the Atlantic was Gert on July 24 during the busiest hurricane season on record, 2005.

"While 2020 may beat 2005 to the 7th named storm, 2005 had already had 3 hurricanes and 2 (of those were) major hurricanes (Dennis and Emily) by July 21. 2020 has yet to have a named storm reach hurricane strength," tweeted Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University.

•••••

The active part of hurricane season is still a few weeks away and it looks likely we will have the busy season experts have been predicting.