First major hurricane of the season intensifies to Category 5
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Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin forecast to create life-threatening waves along US east coast
Hurricane Erin began pelting parts of the Caribbean with rain and wind before it is expected to churn up dangerous waves and rip currents along the US east coast. Evacuations were being ordered on islands along North Carolina's outer banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall. Authorities warned that some roads could be swamped by waves of 15 feet (4.6 metres). The monster storm intensified to a category four with 140 mph maximum sustained winds early on Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the south-east Bahamas, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami. Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn north east and away from the eastern US, but it is still expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents and could bring tropical force winds to North Carolina coast, said Dave Roberts of the centre. Evacuations were ordered on Monday on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the outer banks, coming at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic Ocean. Coastal flooding was expected to begin on Tuesday and continue through Thursday. There are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway running along the barrier islands, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned. But there were no signs of panic on Hatteras Island, said Angela Tawes, a co-owner of Conner's Supermarket. 'It's so beautiful outside. It's hard for people to feel like there's a hurricane coming when it's so gorgeous,' she said. Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous category five status on Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large, major hurricane into the middle of the week. 'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' the hurricane centre's Richard Pasch said. Early on Monday, the storm was located about 110 miles (180 kilometres) north of Grand Turk Island and about 880 miles (1,400 kilometres) south-east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the south east Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the hurricane centre said. Erin's outer bands hit parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds on Sunday. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapour and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
Boston Globe
17 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Erin overshot every model to reach ‘extreme' rapid intensity. What is making these storms so threatening?
The hurricane, now a Category 4 storm, is regenerating as it expands into a powerful force of nature. Erin was located just east of the Bahamas on Monday and had sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and tropical storm-force winds reaching out 230 miles, the National Hurricane Center said Advertisement 'Erin's intensification was pretty remarkable,' said Andy Hazelton, a hurricane researcher with the University of Miami. 'It got better organized [Friday] night and then just exploded overnight (Friday).' Advertisement Erin had a very tight core, which allowed the winds to accelerate quickly like a figure skater closing their arms, rotating faster around a central point. Another way to look at it is when you have a large carousel at a theme park versus a smaller one in a children's park. Circulating around a central point is faster with the smaller carousel. Erin was a small storm that simply blew up around that smaller, tighter rotation. 'Extreme rapid intensification' was exactly what happened in 2023 with Hurricane Lee, which shattered the 35-mile-per-hour standard for rapid intensification by increasing winds by 80 miles per hour. The number of hurricanes undergoing "extreme rapid intensification" is increasing. Climate Central The ocean's rising temperatures, ranging from 84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 4 degrees above average), have provided the necessary fuel for storms to dramatically strengthen, a consequence of a warming planet, forecasters and researchers say. 'It was in an environment with extremely warm waters and minimal wind shear, and there is even warmer water ahead of it,' said Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia's atmospheric sciences program and former president of the Boston-based American Meteorological Society. 'That extra heat comes back to manifest itself at some point, and one of the ways it does is through stronger hurricanes,' Shepherd said. Atlantic sea-surface temperatures where Hurricane Erin has been traversing are running 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit). Tropical Tidbits 'We've seen a lot of rapid intensification cases in recent years: Milton, Helene, Ian, Ida, Laura, Dorian, Michael, etc.,' Hazelton said. 'Research is ongoing, but studies do suggest RI will be more likely in a warming climate, even if the total number of hurricanes remains about the same.' Shepherd noted that a Advertisement Erin went through explosive intensification Friday into Saturday. Hot seas, low wind shear, tight core all allowed an 80 mph jump in wind speeds in less than 24 hours! Growing in numbers The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season saw seven hurricanes rapidly intensify, the most since 2020, when 10 of the 13 hurricanes underwent rapid intensification multiple times during their lifespans. Similarly, last hurricane season delivered 34 individual episodes of rapid intensification, nearly doubling the average number during a typical hurricane season in the past decade. Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, Milton, Isaac, Kirk, Rafael, and Oscar all underwent rapid intensification multiple times. Seven hurricanes went through rapid intensification during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season - the most since 2020. NOAA About 80 percent of major hurricanes undergo rapid intensification throughout their development. The combination of low wind shear and plenty of hot, moist air from the warm ocean water is like flicking a match onto gasoline — the atmosphere ignites. As oceans continue to warm, the fuel source will just continue to grow more potent for storms to explode. In the case of Hurricane Erin, it struggled early on as a tropical storm to gain enough strength through a large plume of Saharan dust. But after shaking the moisture-wicking dry air, Erin entered more favorable conditions for quick strengthening, exploding into a very intense storm. Rapid intensification is more common than we think with hurricanes, especially with global warming. Climate Central These kinds of storms have increased in number in recent decades. Since the early 1980s, a tropical storm or hurricane is now five times more likely to rapidly intensify, growing to one in three storms now likely to see an explosive build-up. That brings us to what climatology tells us and what might be coming down the pike. August typically sees a massive leap in rapid intensification episodes, with the most occurring in September, when sea-surface temperatures across the Atlantic are at their highest for the season. 'Mid-to-late August is exactly when we start paying super close attention to the waves coming off Africa… that's when the Saharan dust also starts to go away,' no longer impeding a storm's development, said Brian McNoldy, a senior researcher with the University of Miami. Advertisement If the chances and frequency of rapidly intensifying hurricanes keep increasing, then naturally so do the chances for more landfalls at greater strength. The percentage of all Atlantic rapid intensification events each month during a hurricane season. CSU Rapidly intensifying storms make hurricane forecasting so vital, especially during the height of hurricane season, which ranges from August to October, and peaks on Sept. 10. Although predicting when a storm will experience such intensification is extremely difficult, forecasting accuracy has dramatically improved since the early 2000s. 'Around 2010, the idea that you could have 70% detection of rapid intensification at 24 hours (as the National Hurricane Center did last year) would have been unheard of,' said Hazelton. Meteorologist and Globe correspondent Chris Gloninger and Marianne Mizera of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Ken Mahan can be reached at
CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
Man trapped behind waterfall for two days rescued
Man trapped behind waterfall for two days rescued Police in California used a helicopter to rescue a man who was trapped behind a large waterfall for two days while climbing, according to officials. The man was treated for minor injuries and reunited with family, police said. 00:36 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 14 videos Man trapped behind waterfall for two days rescued Police in California used a helicopter to rescue a man who was trapped behind a large waterfall for two days while climbing, according to officials. The man was treated for minor injuries and reunited with family, police said. 00:36 - Source: CNN Hurricane hunters fly through Hurricane Erin Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle. 00:37 - Source: CNN Zelensky prepares for White House meeting In the wake of the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders joined Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for a conference call ahead of the leader's meeting with the US president at the White House on Monday. 01:24 - Source: CNN Nationwide demonstrations across Israel demanding hostage deal A planned nationwide strike in Israel on Sunday saw hundreds of thousands take part to call on the government to bring the remaining hostages in Gaza home. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports from Tel Aviv. 01:23 - Source: CNN Canadian government orders end to Air Canada strike After more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike seeking wage increases and paid compensation for work when planes are on the ground, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered them to return to work according to an announcement by Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu. 01:05 - Source: CNN What to expect from Zelensky-Trump meeting President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday after the two leaders had a 'long and substantive conversation.' A European official told CNN that during the call they also discussed potential 'Article 5-type' security guarantees for Ukraine. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports. 01:46 - Source: CNN Russian media reacts positively to Trump-Putin Summit Russian state TV gave a positive coverage of the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, celebrating the handshake between the two leaders. Russian officials also stated that the meeting resulted in progress on sanctions and opened up room for future negotiations. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports. 01:23 - Source: CNN F-22s that intercept Russian aircraft greet Putin on red carpet Four F-22 Raptors flanked the red carpet on the tarmac as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for his meeting with US President Donald Trump. CNN's Natasha Bertrand details how these F-22 are are the same type used to intercept Russian aircraft. 00:43 - Source: CNN London's toxic trash 'volcano' Arnolds Field landfill on Launders Lane in east London is better known to locals as the 'Rainham volcano.' The site was used as an illegal dump for years and now, every summer, it bursts into flames, sending plumes of acrid smoke over nearby homes, parks and schools. CNN's Laura Paddison speaks to residents who feel abandoned and trapped. 02:05 - Source: CNN Here's what happened during Trump-Putin meeting CNN's Kristen Holmes breaks down what happened during President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's summit in Anchorage, Alaska. 02:35 - Source: CNN Trump-Putin summit ends with no deal US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin 'made some headway' and 'great progress' in their bilateral meeting, but added that 'there's no deal until there's a deal.' 01:15 - Source: CNN Putin makes faces as journalists ask about Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respond to reporters' questions about the war in Ukraine as his meeting with President Donald Trump and top aides was set to begin. Putin appeared to make a confused expression as multiple journalists began shouting questions. 00:13 - Source: CNN Trump and Putin land in Alaska for historic summit US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at a US military base in Alaska where the two leaders took part in a red carpet greeting ahead of their talks on Ukraine. As both leaders met on the tarmac, a flyover of American military planes passed overhead, including fighter jets and what appeared to be a B-2 stealth bomber. 00:59 - Source: CNN Erin becomes Atlantic season's first hurricane Erin strengthened to become the Atlantic season's first hurricane. The storm is expected to avoid landfall in the United States but might create dangerous beach conditions along the Atlantic coast, forecasters predict. CNN's Brandon Miller breaks down the hurricane's path. 00:58 - Source: CNN
