Monday, September 2, 2019

dorian, juliette, and three more


Dorian has been the top weather story in Savannah since Tuesday...
almost a week ago...
but that's not the only hurricane out there.
This image is from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 16, also known as GOES-16 or GEOS-East.
It was taken yesterday at 4:20 PM UTC... or 12:20 PM my time.
That would have been roughly twelve hours before Dorian, as a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall in the Bahamas...
where it has been spinning in place ever since.
That means Dorian is the white pinwheel of Florida's east coast, which means West Palm Beach is getting massive surf and wind action, too, as that city is well within the hurricane's 100-mile-radius reach.
The map, however, distinctly shows a line of five sites of swirling trouble, looking as if they were pearls strung on an invisible necklace.
The one classified as Disturbance 2, located between Mexico and Florida, has been gaining strength in the Gulf's warm waters.
Disturbance 3, meanwhile, is a bit further out in the Atlantic Ocean, and may not prove to be a threat.
The one to watch, however, is simply called Disturbance 1, over by Cape Verde off Africa's coast. It's strength has been growing at an alarming rate.
And where is Juliette?
She's still a tropical depression, but she's due to become a hurricane tomorrow.
East Coast news has ignored her because she's off the West Coast, in the Pacific Ocean.
She's looking to be a lady and leave folks alone, just spinning her skirts in those waters...
for now.
Right now, the news is that Dorian's eye wall is failing, battered by its own super fast winds, causing the hurricane to start to dismantle itself as if it were exploding.
That would place those reckless winds whipping more of the ocean waters against more of Florida, but may be a saving grace for the rest of the USA.
I'll have to see as the day progresses.

2 comments:

faustina said...

Today should be the worst of the weather. Hurricane Dorian is still in the Atlantic and is due to pass by about 100 miles off Tybee this evening. That means probable torrential rains and wind for us, to its west, for all of today.

Here's the news from Pat Prokop's website.

"Tropical Weather
HURRICANE DORIAN CATEGORY 2 ...
Location: 29.8°N 79.7°W
Winds: 105 MPH
Moving: NNW at 9 mph
Min pressure: 964 mb
Max sustained: 105 mph

Distance from:
Tybee: 167 SM 146 NM
Hilton Head: 173 SM ... 151 NM
St. Simons Island: 137 SM ... 157 NM
SM=Statute Miles
NM=Nautical Miles

FORECAST PATH REMAINS JUST EAST OF GA AND NEAR SC
HURRICANE WARNING FOR SC COASTAL COUNTIES
TORRENTIAL RAINS BEGINNING ALONG GA/SC COAST

Hurricane Dorian is now moving at 9 mph toward the NW with winds of 105 mph and is about 150 nautical miles (172 statute miles) SSE of the GA coast. Dorian is now slowly moving toward the NNW and the forward motion will increase throughout the afternoon. At the same time, the hurricane is growing in size with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 60 miles and tropical storm force winds (39 mph) extending out to 175 miles. The potential of a hurricane event for the coast of GA is high today and tonight and very high for SC for Thursday. A tornado or two are possible near the immediate east coast of Florida and the immediate coastal Georgia and the coastal Carolinas on Wednesday into Thursday.

Most of the computer forecast models (See the tracks here below) are continuing to have the center of Dorian to pass very near the NE coast of FL then curving northward just offshore parallel with the coast with the center passing just east of the GA & SC coasts. Right now, it's best to stick with the official NHC forecast, which brings it just east of Savannah and Hilton Head Island as a strong category 2 hurricane Thursday. Keep in mind, this projection is subject to change.
The official tropical information can be found on the National Hurricane Center website."

faustina said...

The winds and rain have finally started having an effect on my neighborhood. It's 2234.
The sanest news comes from the BBC, naturally.
Here's the link.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49588680

Now, then, I've watched "The Fifth Element" and had my dinner. I do believe I might find another movie distraction ON DEMAND before I call it a night.
But first, I await NOAA's news at 2300.
That has been a true lifesaver for my sanity this past week.
i thank You, God.