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Depression strengthens to Tropical Storm Omar as it moves away from US

It poses no threat to Florida.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Cross out another name on the busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane season list: Tropical Storm Omar is spinning out in the Atlantic Ocean and away from land, too.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Depression 15 to a tropical storm as of its 5 p.m. Tuesday update. It's not the best-looking system on satellite but strong enough at 40 mph to be given a name.

It is moving to the east-northeast at 14 mph and is located about 310 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Hurricane center forecasters expect it to weaken later in the week, again becoming a depression.

Tropical Storm Omar is one for the fishes, posing no risk to Florida. There could be some higher than normal surf along the East Coast, however.

Omar is now the earliest Atlantic "O" named storm on record. The previous record was held by Ophelia, which formed on Sept. 7, 2005.

Forecasters also are monitoring Tropical Storm Nana, which was named earlier Tuesday. It is located in the Caribbean Sea and is forecast to become a hurricane before reaching Central America. 

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