Tropical Storm Bret (2017)
| Tropical storm (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Tropical Storm Bret approaching the island of Trinidad late on June 19
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| Formed | June 19, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | June 20, 2017 |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 45 mph (75 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 1007 mbar (hPa); 29.74 inHg |
| Fatalities | 1 direct, 1 indirect |
| Damage | ≥ $3 million (2017 USD) |
| Areas affected | Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands |
| Part of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Bret was the earliest named storm to develop in the Main Development Region of the Atlantic basin on record. Bret formed from a low-latitude tropical wave that had moved off the coast of Africa on June 12. The disturbance moved swiftly across the Atlantic for several days, steadily organizing despite its low latitude. On June 18, the organization increased enough for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to begin issuing warnings disturbance while it was located southeast of the Windward Islands. The system continued to organize, and by the next day, it had developed into a tropical storm, the second of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Bret continued moving swiftly to the west and struck Trinidad and Tobago early on June 20, before entering the Caribbean Sea, dissipating shortly afterwards.
Starting in the 2017 season, the NHC changed its policy to allow tropical storm watches and warnings to be issued for tropical disturbances that do not yet satisfy the definition of a tropical cyclone, but are expected to in short order while posing the threat of tropical storm-force winds to landmasses. Thus, on June 18, although the vigorous tropical wave—the precursor to Bret—did not meet formal classification standards, the NHC began issuing advisories on what was considered a potential tropical cyclone.
On June 12, the NHC analyzed a tropical wave just offshore the western coast of Africa, with scattered shower and thunderstorm activity mainly embedded in the monsoon trough to its south. This system was introduced as a potential contender for development while located well south of Cabo Verde two days later, though any organization was expected to be slow as the wave tracked swiftly westward. On June 16, cloudiness associated with the feature began to show signs of organization, and this trend continued into June 18, prompting the NHC to issue their first-ever advisory on a potential tropical cyclone. Despite winds of tropical storm-force, it was inconclusive whether the system possessed a closed low-level circulation. A reconnaissance aircraft investigating the storm around 21:00 UTC on June 19 was indeed able to find a closed low, and the NHC named the disturbance Tropical Storm Bret as a result, located about 125 mi (200 km) southeast of Trinidad. Upon its formation, Bret became the earliest named storm on record in the Atlantic basins's main development region, surpassing a record held by 1979's Tropical Storm Ana.
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