Tropical Storm Peter Forms;
Second Since Hurricane Season Ended

Dec 9, 2003
The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Peter formed Tuesday in the Atlantic Ocean, the second named storm to develop since the Atlantic hurricane season ended Dec. 1.

Peter was in the far eastern Atlantic on Tuesday morning, about 800 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands and posed no threat to land, the National Hurricane Center said. It had winds of 45 mph and was moving toward the north-northeast at 12 mph. It is expected to dissipate within a day.

Peter follows Tropical Storm Odette, which flooded portions of the Dominican Republic last weekend, killing eight.

This is the first time since 1887 that two tropical storms have formed in the Atlantic basin during December, the hurricane center said.

Hurricane Specialist Lexion Avila said the formation of Peter and Odette doesn't mean that the hurricane season is continuing or that other storms may form in the coming weeks.

"This has nothing to do with the future," he said.

He also said the two December storms aren't evidence of climatic changes.

"We don't have the data to prove that one way or another," Avila said.

AP-ES-12-09-03 1003EST
Copyright 2003 Associated Press

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