'Rare' Tropical Storm Forms Off Brazil Coast

A tropical storm described as a “rarity” by weather officials swirled toward the eastern coast of Brazil on Monday, February 19.

Timelapse satellite imagery posted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) shows the storm, named Akara, as it formed off the coast from February 17 to 19.

“Named tropical cyclones in the South Atlantic Ocean are a rarity due to the atmospheric and oceanic conditions found there,” CIRA wrote. The storm is not considered to be a threat to land, according to weather reports, but considered “an oddity” to form in the South Atlantic Ocean Basin. Credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA via Storyful

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