Forecasters say Tropical Storm Fay has formed off the coast of North Carolina. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami announced the storm’s formation Thursday afternoon. Two named storms formed before the season officially started June 1. As of 8 p.m. Thursday, Fay is located about 70 miles northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It has maximum sustained winds of 45mph and is moving at 8 mph.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Cape May, New Jersey to Watch Hill Rhode Island, including Long Island and Long Island Sound. The official forecast shows Fay skimming the New Jersey coast before making landfall in New York as a tropical storm on Friday with top wind speeds of 50 mph.

BULLETIN Tropical Storm Fay Intermediate Advisory Number 1A NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL062020 800 PM EDT Thu Jul 09 2020  ...FAY MOVING NORTHWARD EAST OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST ... ...EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST AND SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...   SUMMARY OF 800 PM EDT...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...36.0N 74.8W ABOUT 70 MI...115 KM NE OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 140 MI...225 KM SSE OF OCEAN CITY MARYLAND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH...75 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 8 MPH...13 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1005 MB...29.68 INCHES   WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:  None.  SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:  A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Cape May New Jersey to Watch Hill Rhode Island including Long Island and Long Island Sound  A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.  For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.   DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Fay was located near latitude 36.0 North, longitude 74.8 West. Fay is moving toward the north near 8 mph (13 km/h).  A northward to north- northeastward motion at a faster forward speed is expected over the next couple of days.  On the forecast track, the center of Fay is forecast to move near the mid-Atlantic coast on Friday, and move inland over the northeast United States on Saturday.  Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts.  Some slight strengthening is forecast tonight and Friday. Weakening should begin after the center moves inland on Saturday.  Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) primarily to the east and southeast of the center.  The latest minimum central pressure reported by reconnaissance aircraft is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).   HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- Key messages for Fay can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT1 and WMO header WTNT41 KNHC.  RAINFALL:  Fay is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rain along and near the track of Fay across the mid-Atlantic states into southeast New York and southern New England. These rains may result in flash flooding where the heaviest amounts occur.  WIND:  Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the coast within the warning area on Friday and spread northward through the warning area Friday night.   NEXT ADVISORY ------------- Next complete advisory at 1100 PM EDT.