During mid-April, a non-tropical low over the central Atlantic well east of Bermuda was producing a large area of tropical storm force winds and scattered thunderstorm activity. As the system drifted eastward, it more more organized, and began to show signs of subtropical development by April 18. Though convection remained mainly confined to the southeast quadrant by the next morning, the low had acquired enough organization to be classified Subtropical Depression One. At that time, the cyclone was moving north-northeast at a moderate clip as it interacted with an extratropical low.
Any cover the center of circulation had managed to develop that day was quickly stripped away by increasing wind shear by early on April 20. The system made a comeback later that morning, however, and in fact became more symmetric, resulting in its reclassification as a tropical depression. It turned toward west-northwest that afternoon and unexpectedly strengthened into Tropical Storm Arlene, only the second known tropical storm to form in April in the Atlantic. Further, its central pressure dropped to 993 mb, the lowest for a tropical system ever recorded in the month of April. Arlene's unusual run ended the next day as it became extratropical and was quickly absorbed by a larger system.
The above image shows Tropical Storm Arlene near its peak intensity over the open Atlantic.
Arlene did not approach any landmasses during its short lifetime. However, it was notable in that it was only the second Atlantic tropical storm known to form in April, after Ana in 2003.
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