On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Irma forms; U.S. impact unknown

[brooklynite]

Source: USA Today

For a nation reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, on Wednesday came some unwelcome news: Another possible threat was brewing.

Tropical Storm Irma has formed in the central Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center said. It poses no immediate threat to land, and it's too early to know its track, forecasters said.

As of 11 a.m. ET, Irma had 50-mph winds. It was located about 2,000 miles east of the Leeward Islands and about 3,000 miles southeast of Miami.

Irma was moving to the west at 13 mph.



Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/08/30/tropical-storm-irma-forms/616055001/

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Could strengthen to Hurricane force by Friday.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. What I read says the frequency and strength (winds) of hurricanes is

not as affected by Climate Change as much as the amount of moisture, rain, flooding.

That we can thank climate change, in large part, for the RESULTS of the hurricane as to the water, flooding.

[modrepub]

4. Partially right

The amount of moisture in the air is dependent on temperature. Generally speaking higher temperatures increase the saturation vapor pressure; the maximum amount of water vapor in a column of air. Am trying to phrase this correctly because the concept of air holding water like a sponge is a common misnomer. The saturation vapor pressure is also a nonlinear function in that as temperature increases the saturation vapor pressure increases at a higher rate than the temperature. Of course more water vapor translates to more energy, exponentially so, which can lead to stronger storms if all other conditions are constant (but they are not).

That's the entire problem with atmospheric science, it a highly nonlinear system. How nonlinear? So nonlinear that atmospheric models give slightly different answers using the exact same set of initial conditions. Why? Because the even with double precision math (16 significant figures) the blips in the circuits (flips in the 1 or 0 out to the last digit) are enough to change the final answer. There's a name for these types of systems but I can't remember it.

[Purveyor]

2. More immediate: Another area we continue to monitor is the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico system

Another area we continue to monitor is the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Just days after Harvey moves out, another tropical disturbance or tropical cyclone could move in. It does not yet exist, but models have consistently been hinting at a disturbance developing in the Bay of Campeche and tracking toward Texas by Wednesday.

The latest run of the U.S. GFS model produces 10 to 15 inches of rain in a swath spanning Southeast Texas through southern Louisiana. There is still a lot of uncertainty with this system, but given the potential, it is important to be aware of it. If it develops but tracks a bit further east, the Texas coast could be spared.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/08/30/tropical-storm-irma-forms-in-atlantic-and-still-watching-gulf-of-mexico-early-next-week/?utm_term=.3072fb6c710d

[JaneQPublic]

3. "I" named hurricanes this time of year make me nervous.

As a Marylander, we were struck by Isabel in 2003 and Irene in 2011 -- both in the late August/early September timeframe.

[leftynyc]

6. Ike was horrible for the Gulf Coast

Maybe there is something to that "I" thing.

[SergeStorms]

5. Irma looks as if.....

she could become one helluva' hurricane. By the end of next week the United States could be hit by another catastrophic storm. And the GOP in the House will be voting on cutting disaster funds by one billion dollars to help pay for Trump's stupid wall.

[Javaman]

7. it would be a shame if it hit Washington or zero'd on one of tRumps hotels. nt

Last edited Thu Aug 31, 2017, 08:07 AM - Edit history (1)

[Ilsa]

8. In other news, Harvey and Irma

vacation at Mara Lago. Say goodbye to south Florida.