Category: Weather

Hurricane Helene’s rampage killed more than 200 people, with the death toll still rising, making it the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland in the last 50 years. The National Weather Service and other weather experts have recently released final data on how strong, fast and destructive the storm was. Here’s a look at some of the harrowing numbers from along Helene’s path of destruction. Landfall and shocking west coast surge Helene traveled up through the Gulf of Mexico, growing to an immense width — 690 miles — and traveling at a high speed. Both of those factors would prove...

Forecasters are watching for development of a new disturbance that emerged Tuesday night in the Caribbean Sea, and the remnants of former Tropical Storm Gordon could form again, possibly into a tropical storm. The new system over the western Caribbean Sea could slowly develop through early next week, the National Hurricane Center said. It is expected to move slowly north or northwest into the northwestern Caribbean. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, it has been given a 20% chance of developing in the next seven days. What remains of Tropical Storm Gordon is unorganized storms over the open water in the...

After a brief lull in the Atlantic since Hurricane Ernesto, forecasters are monitoring for a new potential disturbance to develop in the central Atlantic. An area of low pressure could develop in the central Atlantic in the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said Monday night. The environment is expected to be favorable for it to slowly develop by the weekend and early next week. The disturbance is forecast to move west-northwest between 10 to 15 mph. As of 8 p.m., it has a 20% chance of developing in the next seven days. Experts at Colorado State University issued a new forecast last...

A tropical depression formed Sunday in the central Atlantic and is forecast to develop into Tropical Storm Ernesto this week as it approaches the far eastern Caribbean islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. The forecast has the storm increasing to hurricane strength very close to Puerto Rico on Wednesday and take a turn to the north, well east of Florida and the U.S. east coast. Tropical storm watches were issued for the eastern Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin and Sint Maarten.  

Now that Hurricane Beryl has traveled across the Atlantic and broken numerous records, such as being the earliest Category 5 storm in recorded history, what’s next for hurricane development in the Atlantic? The good news is that powerful hurricanes such as Beryl often consume heat energy, and can create upwellings of cool water. That cooler water then curbs storm formation. But Beryl may not play out that way, said climate researcher Brian McNoldy with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. McNoldy checked his data points and said that sea-surface...

Beryl became the season’s first major hurricane on Sunday, reaching Category 4 strength as it approached the Caribbean with winds topping 130 mph, forecasters said, and late Sunday, the season saw its third storm to be named. Beryl has strengthened rapidly since forming and is likely to bring “life-threatening winds and storm surge” on its approach to the far eastern Caribbean early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Hurricane Hunter aircraft investigated the hurricane on Sunday, recording maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 130 mph with higher gusts. It is forecast...

Beryl, which became the first hurricane of the season at 5 p.m. Saturday, saw its maximum sustained winds continue increasing, reaching 85 mph at the 11 p.m. advisory. The system’s strength continued to increase, with the hurricane center — saying Beryl was “rapidly intensifying” — forecasting the storm to achieve top wind speeds of 120 mph as it sweeps through the Caribbean Sea, the hurricane center said. “Beryl is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands late Sunday night or Monday, bringing destructive hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm...

Tropical Storm Beryl, which formed late Friday, is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2024 season this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said. As of 11 p.m. Friday, Beryl was 1,110 miles east-southeast of Barbados and moving west at 18 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were 40 mph, and tropical-storm-force winds extended 45 miles from its center. “Development this far east in late June is unusual,” the forecasters at the hurricane center said. “In fact, there have only been a few storms in history that have formed over the central or eastern tropical Atlantic this early in the...

An area of stormy weather in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico could bring localized flooding to parts of northeastern Mexico Sunday, though its chances for tropical development are steadily dwindling. The large area of showers and thunderstorms was located about 20 miles southeast of La Pesca, Mexico, as of 8 p.m. and was due to head inland, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its odds of developing dropped to 10% from 40% earlier in the day. The next named storm will be Beryl. The 2024 hurricane season, which officially began June 1, is expected to be extremely active. In its annual...

An area of stormy weather in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico could still become a tropical depression this weekend before reaching the coast of northeastern Mexico on Sunday night, forecasters said. The large area of showers and thunderstorms over the southwestern Gulf lacked a well-defined center by Saturday evening and its odds of developing have decreased since earlier in the week. However, heavy rain is likely to cause flooding in parts of southeastern Mexico and southern Texas regardless through the end of the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday. It is expected to drift...