With 50 m.p.h. winds, Tropical Storm Zeta is the 27th named storm in the record 2005 season. Zeta drifting slowly to the west in the open Atlantic Ocean about 2,500 miles east of Florida and it poses no threat to land.
The National Hurricane Center advises that Zeta is likely to weaken rather than strengthen and will not attain hurricane strength (sustained winds of 74 m.p.h.).
The 2005 hurricane season ended on Nov. 30 and, by definition, additional named storms in December, January and February are termed “late” storms with names assigned from the 2005 season list.
June 1 marks the debut of the 2006 hurricane season and any named storms that might develop in March, April and May will be termed “early” storms with names applied from the 2006 name list (beginning with Alberto, Beryl and Chris).
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
