Subtropical Storm Ana threatens Carolinas
Subtropical Storm Ana, the first named storm of the 2015 hurricane season, formed overnight off the coast of the Carolinas, the National Hurricane Center said.
As of 2:00 p.m. ET, the storm had sustained winds of 45 mph and was located about 170 miles south-southeast of Myrtle Beach, S.C. It was stationary, meaning the storm was sitting there spinning without moving in any direction.
The storm will bring rain, wind and rough surf to the Southeast coast through the weekend, AccuWeather predicted.
As much as 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall from the storm over the weekend in eastern sections of the Carolinas, the hurricane center warned. Swells are also likely to cause "life-threatening surf and rip currents," the center said.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from South Santee River, S.C., to Surf City, N.C., the hurricane center said. This means tropical storm conditions can be expected in this area within the next 48 hours.
The storm's center is forecast to make landfall in South Carolina on Sunday, though impacts from the storm have already begun and will continue through the day on Saturday.
Ana is the earliest subtropical (or tropical) storm to form in the Atlantic basin since Ana of 2003, the hurricane center said
A subtropical storm is a "hybrid" storm, one that has ingredients of both a tropical storm and a regular storm.