Danny weakens to a tropical depression as it moves inland across South Carolina

By Hannah Gard and Haley Brink, CNN

Tropical Storm Danny weakened to a tropical depression Monday night as it made its way inland over South Carolina.

Danny had maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. advisory, capping a turbulent day that saw the system fluctuate from a depression to a tropical storm and back to a depression.

Danny made landfall as a tropical storm Monday evening on Pritchards Island, South Carolina, just north of Hilton Head, the NHC said.

As of late Monday night, Danny was about 100 miles west of Charleston.

The fourth named storm of the 2021 season, Danny developed into a tropical depression late Monday morning and a tropical storm by mid-afternoon. The storm developed just off the coast of South Carolina, so it had little time to gain strength before making landfall.

All tropical storm warnings have been discontinued and Danny is expected to dissipate Tuesday, the hurricane center said.

It was moving west-northwest at 15 mph and was forecast to bring up to two inches of rain with locally higher amounts in coastal regions of Georgia and southern South Carolina overnight.

“This region has been dry, limiting potential widespread flooding impacts, however, local flooding impacts, especially in urban areas along the southern South Carolina and Georgia coast, cannot be ruled out at this time,” the NHC said.

Typical early season tropical activity

Hurricane season officially began on June 1, but storms in the early season have become more persistent.

The typical initiation point for these early season Atlantic Basin storms in June is within the Gulf of Mexico, where moisture is ripe, according to the NHC. As July rolls around, initiation in the Atlantic and off the northeast coast of South America becomes more prevalent.

As the season progresses into August, storm initiation begins to shift toward the mid-Atlantic and off the western coast of Africa, where tropical waves make their way northwestward, typically strengthening as they enter the Caribbean. Hurricanes become more likely, and much more frequent.

The peak of hurricane season typically lies in September for the United States, when landfalling hurricanes in the Gulf and up the East Coast ramp up significantly. Initiation happens within the Gulf of Mexico, as well as off the west coast of Africa.

Aside from Danny, a tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic has been producing thunderstorms and showers since last week.

Tropical storm initiation in the mid-Atlantic is fairly rare in late June, with one recorded initiation point occurring in the area from 1851-2015, according to the NHC.

Formation likelihood is low for the next 48 hours at 20%, with a 40% chance of formation over the next five days.

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CNN’s Taylor Ward contributed to this report.