Post by auntym on Sept 10, 2013 11:52:22 GMT -6
www.unknowncountry.com/news/hurricane-season-dissapears-earth-unexpectedly-cools
The Hurricane Season Disappears as Earth Unexpectedly Cools
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Despite predicting an extremely active hurricane season for this year, climatologists have been astounded by a virtually unprecedented lack of hurricanes. So far this season, which began on June 1st and runs to November 30, a total of eight tropical storms have developed, and typically the first hurricanes have formed by 10th August each year, but we are now halfway through the season without a single storm reaching hurricane status. This could become the latest start to the season since satellites began to record storm activity in 1967.
Previously, the latest start to the season occurred on September 11th 2002 with the birth of Hurricane Gustav; we now have until 8am Wednesday EDT (1200 GMT) before that record is superseded, though during the last few hours Tropical Storm Humberto has strengthened and is forecast to reach hurricane status by Tuesday evening. Humberto formed near the Cape Verde Islands and is not thought to pose any risk to the US coastline, though it has given the small island chain a battering with winds of up to 60mph.
It is thought that pockets of dry, dusty air and winds have prevented the storms from escalating, but Bryan Norcross, the former South Florida weathercaster and current hurricane expert for The Weather Channel, commented 'It's very unusual. Why this is happening is the subject of a lot of conversation, and not much clarity'.
Despite the slow start to the season we should not become complacent, as The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest forecast for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season still suggests a 70% chance of above-average activity and lots more storms to come.
The weird weather has not just been confined to this side of the Pond - across the Atlantic in Cornwall, a freak snow storm left residents speechless.
Cornwall, which is at the southerly-most tip of the British Isles, would typically be enjoying mild temperatures of at least 17C (63F) at this time of year and rarely sees snow even in winter, but the picturesque county was treated to a freak hail storm last Friday. The hail was so profuse that it settled like snow, and also resulted in some severe flooding - knee high flood water poured into one cafe and patrons had to be evacuated. One eye-witness reported that he had been sweltering in 30C (86F) temperatures in London the previous day, yet had returned home to find enough ice and snow to go sledding!
The US this year has also been no stranger to extremes of flooding and drought, and the annual monsoon in India was far more intense than normal, resulting in widespread flooding. At the same time, record-breaking cold weather has gripped Peru during the Austral Winter.
Can we blame global warming for these extremes or anomalies in the world's weather?
CONTINUE READING: www.unknowncountry.com/news/hurricane-season-dissapears-earth-unexpectedly-cools#ixzz2eVu6njxh
The Hurricane Season Disappears as Earth Unexpectedly Cools
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Despite predicting an extremely active hurricane season for this year, climatologists have been astounded by a virtually unprecedented lack of hurricanes. So far this season, which began on June 1st and runs to November 30, a total of eight tropical storms have developed, and typically the first hurricanes have formed by 10th August each year, but we are now halfway through the season without a single storm reaching hurricane status. This could become the latest start to the season since satellites began to record storm activity in 1967.
Previously, the latest start to the season occurred on September 11th 2002 with the birth of Hurricane Gustav; we now have until 8am Wednesday EDT (1200 GMT) before that record is superseded, though during the last few hours Tropical Storm Humberto has strengthened and is forecast to reach hurricane status by Tuesday evening. Humberto formed near the Cape Verde Islands and is not thought to pose any risk to the US coastline, though it has given the small island chain a battering with winds of up to 60mph.
It is thought that pockets of dry, dusty air and winds have prevented the storms from escalating, but Bryan Norcross, the former South Florida weathercaster and current hurricane expert for The Weather Channel, commented 'It's very unusual. Why this is happening is the subject of a lot of conversation, and not much clarity'.
Despite the slow start to the season we should not become complacent, as The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest forecast for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season still suggests a 70% chance of above-average activity and lots more storms to come.
The weird weather has not just been confined to this side of the Pond - across the Atlantic in Cornwall, a freak snow storm left residents speechless.
Cornwall, which is at the southerly-most tip of the British Isles, would typically be enjoying mild temperatures of at least 17C (63F) at this time of year and rarely sees snow even in winter, but the picturesque county was treated to a freak hail storm last Friday. The hail was so profuse that it settled like snow, and also resulted in some severe flooding - knee high flood water poured into one cafe and patrons had to be evacuated. One eye-witness reported that he had been sweltering in 30C (86F) temperatures in London the previous day, yet had returned home to find enough ice and snow to go sledding!
The US this year has also been no stranger to extremes of flooding and drought, and the annual monsoon in India was far more intense than normal, resulting in widespread flooding. At the same time, record-breaking cold weather has gripped Peru during the Austral Winter.
Can we blame global warming for these extremes or anomalies in the world's weather?
CONTINUE READING: www.unknowncountry.com/news/hurricane-season-dissapears-earth-unexpectedly-cools#ixzz2eVu6njxh