On September 11, a system emerged off of Africa that was partially associated with a tropical wave that became Teddy in a few days time. An area of vorticity split off and tracked more northward. The next day, it moved over the Cape Verde islands, bringing isolated heavy rainfall. Soon after that, a low pressure center appeared and on September 14, the system managed to develop into Tropical Depression Twenty-One northwest of the Cape Verde islands. A linear outflow boundary approaching from the northwest signaled the arrival of less favorable atmospheric conditions, but the depression nonetheless strengthened into Tropical Storm Vicky later that day. Vicky was the earliest twentieth named storm, or "V" storm, after Tropical Storm Tammy of 2005, which formed on October 5 of that year. Tammy was the twentieth storm of 2005 due to an unnamed storm that was identified in post-season analysis. The 2005 season was also the first to use the letter "V", making 2020 the second such occurrence.
Shear came roaring in out of the west and exposed the center of circulation soon after, but Vicky strengthened a bit more to reach peak winds of 50 mph late that evening. The next day, the system turned toward the west-northwest but persisted as a tropical storm. It seemed that other aspects of the upper-air environment (as well as warm ocean temperatures) were enough to offset the shear a little. Nevertheless, weakening eventually commenced on September 16. The outflow of the nearby and powerful Hurricane Teddy hastened Vicky's demise and it became a remnant low on September 17. Moving south of west now, the low continued on a little further until dissipation occurred.
The image above shows Vicky over the eastern Atlantic, with the Cape Verde islands in the bottom right.
Vicky moved into a highly unfavorable environment after forming and hence was a short-lived tropical storm.
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