Tropical Storm Odette, the 15th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, was named Friday afternoon by the National Hurricane Center. Odette formed from an area of low pressure off the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. This is the second time the name “Odette” has been used in the Atlantic basin, with the first occurrence being a rare Caribbean December tropical storm in 2003.

As of 5:00 p.m. EDT Friday, Tropical Storm Odette was centered near 36.7°N 71.8°W, and was moving northeastward at about 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 35 knots (40 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 1010 mb. Odette barely meets the definition of a tropical cyclone, as the cyclone consists of a sheared mass of convection and already appears to be undergoing extratropical transition with developing frontal boundaries. Although the vertical shear is stronger than 25 knots (30 mph) and Odette will be moving into progressively cooler waters, baroclinic processes should allow for some intensification before Odette becomes post-tropical by tomorrow evening. Odette is moving away from the United States East Coast and should not pose a threat to land areas.