Busy times in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tropical Storm Sally just formed near the southern tip of Florida. Looks like it will end up as a hurricane near New Orleans, on Tuesday.
Latest NHC update on Sally: now forecast to hit the New Orleans area as a cat. 2 hurricane with winds of 160 km/h (100 mph). But more rapid intensification over the warm waters of the Gulf is still possible.
Hurricane-to-be #Sally could bring 3 meters of storm surge and 600 mm of rain:
A hyper-active Atlantic Ocean today: hurricane Paulette closing in on Bermuda, tropical storms Sally (approaching the northern Gulf coast) and Teddy, and tropical depressions Rene and Twenty-One.
And... there is Vicky! Only Wilfred to go now, and then this year’s supply of names for Atlantic tropical cyclones is finished. Over to the Greek alphabet then.
In the meantime, #Sally rapidly strengthened into a hurricane. At 10 am CDT, it's winds were 105 km/h (65 mph) @NHC_Atlantic expected it to take 36 hours to achieve winds of 145 km/h (90 mph).
Just 90 minutes(!) later, it had already happened.
This #Sally has rapidly become an impressive hurricane. @NHC_Atlantic now expects it to strengthen to at least 170 km/h wins before landfall, and more than that.
Major flooding from storm surge and massive rainfall in any case. Poor Louisiana.
Sustained winds speeds in hurricane #Sally already up to 160 km/h (100 mph) now. Forecast bumped up to 175 km/h (110 mph).
Coastal areas already affected; exact timing of landfall uncertain.
Heavy storm surge expected around New Orleans, due to hurricane #Sally: 6 foot = 1.8 meters.
Hurricane #Sally update: Winds down (to 140 km/h), rainfall forecast up: 250-500 mm of rain expected, with 750 mm (a year's worth, here in NL) possible in some places.
nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/M…
"Historic flooding is possible with extreme life-threatening flash flooding likely through Wednesday.", warns @NHC_Atlantic
Hurricane #Sally still taking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, while already dumping heavy rain on coastal areas.
Unexpectedly, hurricane #Sally is getting stronger just before making landfall in Mississippi/Alabama. Winds now 145 km/h (90 mph).
(picture: @wildweatherdan)
Even now, before landfall, #Sally has already dumped 400 mm of rain, half a year's worth here in NL, in some places near Mobile, Alabama!
And another update: #Sally strengthened into a cat. 2 hurricane again, with winds of 160 km/h!
Update from @NHC_Atlantic:
Hurricane #Sally has further strenghtened; winds now 105 mph (165 km/h). "Historic and catastrophic flooding is unfolding along and just inland of the coast from west of Tallahassee, Florida, to Mobile Bay, Alabama."
nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/M…
One place in the Florida panhandle already reported 630 mm (24.8 inches) of rain from hurricane #Sally, and pouring. @NHC_Atlantic now foresees up to 890 mm (35 inches) in the worst places.
Some of the damage done by hurricane #Sally in Alabama.
.. and river flooding following with some delay.
Looks like hurricane Sally dumped almost a meter of rain near Pensacola, Florida (945 mm, in this estimate)!
And there is tropical Depression Twenty-two, probably Tropical Storm Wilfred pretty soon.
Could head for Texas after that.
And there it is! Next up: Alpha.
Finally some use for 3 years of classical Greek in a Dutch 'gymnasium', early 1970s ;)
O wait, there's Alpha already! Next up: Beta.
A somewhat unusual track forecast for subtropical storm Alpha. Yes, that's Portugal and Spain.
.@NHC_Atlantic just published the Greek alphabet. Not entirely clear what names will come after that.
And, there is Tropical Storm Beta! That makes 3 new named storms in the Atlantic basin within 24 hours. Next up: Gamma.
Tropical Storm Beta strengthening quickly: now already expected to turn into a hurricane today, and to start causing trouble along the Texas Gulf coast tomorrow.
Bit of an instant hurricane.
Update: Beta didn’t make it to hurricane status, but it’s now expected to bring very heavy rainfall to Texas and Louisiana coastal areas: 200-300 mm (8-12 inches), with 500 mm (20 inches) possible in some places.
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