It turns out that the “land hurricane” (technically, a super storm, aka extra tropical cyclone or bomb cyclone) may have been the biggest (most energetic) storm hisorically recorded for the region. Of particular interest is the pressure record (the ultimate measure for a storm) but also, the number of tornadoes and the damage due to…

I think we are having a land hurricane here in Minnesota. The tree in front of my daughter’s other house (her mom’s place) that was topped by a tornado the week after we bought it has lost a big dead branch, a bunch of firs at the junction of 10 and 35W are down, a…

Former hurricane Richard will dissipate in the southern Gulf of Mexico. At the moment, the satellite view of the storm is interesting, because it looks like a well organized and properly shaped skeleton of a hurricane:

Hurricane Richard is now Tropical Storm Richard, and is weakening rapidly. When this storm passes over the Gulf of Mexico, it is not expected to gain strength, but rather, will be torn asunder by the forces of nature and stuff and will dissipate. Richard knocked out power and messed up a bunch of roofs, but…

There is a disturbance in the force. Well, actually, in the Caribbean. It is not named yet, but by the weekend it is likely that Richard will be the next named Atlantic storm. Richard is now a named tropical storm (named “Richard,” interestingly enough) in the Caribbean, with a likely path across the Yucatan. ……

Paula has just been named a Hurricane. This is a storm that formed in the northwestern Caribbean, just east of the Yucatan. Although the storm has the potential to become quite strong from very warm surface waters, shearing winds are likely to keep Paula from becoming well organized. Forcasts as to where this storm may…

It has been relatively quiet in the Atlantic for several days (for a hurricane season … there’s been plenty of storm and rain in the usual areas). Otto is the current, newly named storm, and, in the words of the folks at the Hurricane Prediction Center, Otto is “struggling.” It is possible that Otto will…

The next named storm in the Atlantic will be Nicole, and it is possible that it will form in the Caribbean. This mess of clouds and storms with a strong but now well organized low pressure system is unlikely to become a named storm over the next couple of days, but keep an eye on…

The stormy feature in the West Indies has formed into a named storm, and it is Matthew. Matthew is expected to remain as a tropical storm as it follows the North Honduras coast and dissipates over the central Yucatan. Well, it is possible that it will jump the isthmus and do something interesting in the…

Igor is on the cusp of being a hurricane and not being a hurricane. The storm has hurricane force winds but its energy is being rapidly redistributed from a cyclonic pattern (a hurricane is a cyclone) to a frontal pattern (a hurricane is not a front). Either way, somebody’s gonna lose themselves’ a trailer. In…

There is a reasonably high probability that tropical storm force winds from what is now Hurricane Igor will affect the Maritime provinces in Canada. Look for that to start happening Tuesday and later. Igor could actually be weaker than a hurricane is supposed to be (or close to it) over the next few hours, technically,…

I hereby withdraw my earlier prediction that a blob over Mali and Niger would be the next named Atlantic storm. Instead, I think it will be this one right here: We shall name it Karl. If it forms into a tropical storm soon. Expect that by Thursday.

Tropical storms and hurricanes are eddies in the massive current of solar energy transiting from the equator, where there is lots of it, to the poles, where there is less. And when I say equator, I mean the ITCZ. Anyway, there are three such concentration of energy in the Atlantic worthy of a close look.…

We always knew Igor had what it took to be a hurricane, despite early, and rather embarrassing, fluctuations in intensity. Now, Igor is a Category Four hurricane with prospects for additional strengthening. There are no current warnings or watches, and the Hurricane Prediction center is not saying a lot about what is supposed to happen…

Because Igor is now a tropical storm. Igor is not much of a storm yet, and is showing no clear pattern of increased intensification. However, Igor’s current path will take the storm through a region where there will be very little to weaken it and a great deal of very warm water to strengthen it.…

As Earl bears down on North Carolina and environs (well, slides by rudely if not bears down) I’ll be stepping back from regular discussions of the Tropical Weather situation as I engage in labor day weekend activities. Meanwhile, have a look at this post at the NASA web site with more interesting and sometimes freaky…

As predicted, Gaston has emerged from from the ITCZ as a named tropical storm in the eastern Atlantic. Unlike Fiona, Gaston will reach hurricane status, and in fact, there is a pretty good chance that Gaston will be a major hurricane. What matters, of course, is where it goes. In any event, formation of a…

North Carolina will receive hurricane warnings (a significant notch above watches) within a few hours, as the forecasted path for earl shift a bit to the west than previously thought and b) becomes less certain. From NOAA/Hurricane Prediction Center: Hurricane Watch: North of Surf City North Carolina to Parramore Island Virginia including the Pamlico and…

Despite rather bizarre rumors to the contrary, Earl was never headed straight for Haiti, but it is a large and strong hurricane, and strong tropical force winds are affecting and will continue to affect the northern regions of the island. Earl is now a Category Four hurricane and will remain so for the next few…

Danielle is now a Tropical Storm heading to it’s watery grave west of Iceland. Earl, on the other hand, has a non-zero chance of hitting something.

Earl may threaten the US Virgin Islands and Pueto Rico with hurricane force winds. These areas will be affected by tropical storm force winds. Antigua, Barbuda, Monserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla, Saint Martin and Satin Barthelemy, St. Marten, Saba and St. Eustatius are under hurricane warnings, and a hurricane watch is in effect for…

Here’s a pretty picture from the Atlantic: That, dear reader, is what an active hurricane season looks like.

Earl, previously known as tropical depression 07, is now Tropical Storm Earl, and is cranking up through this ‘middle school’ phase of the cyclone life cycle so quickly that by the time you read this Earl might be a hurricane. Or in his case, a himicane.

Danielle is a hurricane again. Not real well organized but showing signs of getting its act together, Danielle will likely continue to strengthen for a couple/few days, remain a hurricane for a couple of days, then start weakening in about five days. This is all going to happen out in the middle of the Atlantic,…

Danielle is unraveling. Meteroloigsts are using words like “disorganized” and “decreased dvorak estimates” and “downgrading” and finally, have decided that she is no longer a hurricane. Tropical Strom Danielle may well reintensify into a hurricane, and in fact, she may become a rather intense storm by the weekend. But she’ll still be out in the…

This has been a very quiet hurricane season considering that it was predicted to be active and intense. The fourth named storm is only now developing in the Atlantic, and it is a hurricane named Danielle.

No, no, probably not, although I did receive my first BP Oil Spill denialist comment this morning. Nonetheless, we have had very little in the way of storms that might develop into hurricanes. The best I can do for you now is Tropical Depression FIVE, which is sitting in the Gulf and heading for New…

A tight little disturbance currently known as “Area 1″ in the absolute middle of the Atlantic, and bering a 70 percent chance of forming a nameable feature. If it does, it will be a “D” … so consulting the list, that would be … Danielle.

Named Tropical Depression Colin, which started to dissipate more quickly than expected yesterday, looks like it may be getting reorganized again. It is now just a low pressure area 300 miles north of the Virgin Islands, but probably contains some tropical storm force winds. It is possible that over the next two days Colin could…