Monday, July 24, 2006

This time last year we were watching Storm Number 6


Cindy, Dennis, Emily, & Franklin had all formed by the last week of July in 2005.

Dennis was the close call here in the Tampa Bay area. Here's my blog post from last July.

We're reminded that the season really doesn't kick in until August/September!

Showers in Gulf bear watching....

MIAMI - Hurricane forecasters this morning are pointing to an area of showers in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico as the only storm concern through Tuesday.

The disorganized showers could develop into a tropical disturbance in the next few days as the showers track to the north and northwest, the National Weather Service said in a 5:30 a.m. advisory. The showers were not a threat to Florida.

"Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday," said the Miami center, which watches the gulf, the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Beryl forms off the Coast of the Carolinas


This is the fifth Beryl since coming into the storm rotation in 1982.

The storm was upgraded from a tropical depression Tuesday afternoon.

At 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, the storm was centered about 180 miles (290 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at nearly 6 mph (9 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. A slow turn toward the north-northwest was expected later Tuesday or Wednesday.

....but things can change quickly!

Activity is picking up in the Atlantic Ocean today as conditions become more favorable for tropical storms to develop.

The National Hurricane Center is watching three low pressure systems -- one of them off the North Carolina could build quickly.

"Although the low is currently not well-organized, there is a potential for a tropical depression to form during the next day or two," hurricane center forecasters said in a statement today.

A hurricane hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the area later today.

Friday, July 14, 2006

No tropical storm formation forseen....

.....for the waters touching Florida for several days, the National Hurricane Center said today (Friday July 14, 2006).

In its daily, 5:30 a.m. advisory, storm watchers in Miami said a tropical wave, which they had been watching all week move from the North Atlantic into the Caribbean Sea, has weakened.

"The U.S. now is a month and a half into its 2006 hurricane season, and so far there has been one named tropical storm."

Monday, July 10, 2006

One Year Ago - Hurricane Dennis Struck Florida




On this date last year, Hurricane Dennis struck Florida.

Dennis was the earliest forming category 4 storm in the Caribbean. The hurricane, which weakened to a category 3 before it made landfall with 120 mile-an-hour winds near Navarre Beach in the Panhandle, spawned 10 tornadoes.

Meanwhile, tropical waves continue to form in the Eastern Carribean only to be knocked down by upper level wind shear. Accuweather is saying that the shear is beginning to disapate and surface pressures are lowering which could allow this and future waves to better organize. We'll be watching!