Latest news with #TrackingtheTropics
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Something brewing in the Caribbean? Meteorologists say it's social media hype
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — You may have seen it on social media: eye-catching graphics of GFS model projections featuring a monster hurricane headed straight for the Gulf coast. Some accounts posted about this hypothetical storm weeks in advance, stoking anxiety in a hurricane-weary region of the country. What to expect during the 2025 hurricane season | Tracking the Tropics On Tuesday's edition of Tracking the Tropics, our team of meteorologists addressed those concerns and issued a warning to social media users who encounter these long-range projections online: Don't buy into the hype. 'Especially coming off of such a terrible season for Florida, where so many folks are going to be recovering for the next couple of years, there's just a heightened sense of anxiety. Storm anxiety is a real thing,' WKRG Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth said. 'Nerves are just heightened now. Folks are trying to rebuild their lives, get back to what will be their new normal. The last thing you want to do is scare them with nonsense. That's why you want to trust your local meteorologists.' Long-range models, like the GFS, often spin up phantom storms that don't come to fruition. These projections have low confidence more than a few days out. 'No, we're not going to see a Category 4 hurricane in 10 days in the Gulf. That's just not going to happen,' Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Rebecca Barry said. 'The confidence is so low. It's not even worth worrying about at this point.' The social media graphics and video thumbnails may look official, but our team of meteorologists says you should listen to the experts – not influencers who rely on clicks and follows. 'I get paid whether I post anything on Facebook or not. I get paid to do my job as a meteorologist,' Barry said. 'There are a lot of people on social media that are getting paid through social media, so if they don't post something that gets a lot of likes, shares and interactions, they don't get paid that day. That leads them to make different decisions than I would on social media. Some of them I would consider not the best decisions.' Barry's advice? Look at everything on social media with a critical eye. 'I just want people to think about who they follow on social media. Think before you share one of those posts,' Barry said. 'What are the motives? If the confidence is that low, it doesn't deserve any space in your brain or in your day.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What to expect during the 2025 hurricane season
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The tropics are mostly calm as hurricane season gets off to a quiet start. Today on Tracking the Tropics, our team of meteorologists will kick off our seventh season by breaking down what we can expect in the tropics this year. NOAA predicts above average 2025 hurricane season: Here's how many storms we could see Plus, we'll take a look at an area off the Florida coast with a chance for development. Regardless of development, it has the potential to bring some moisture to the coast of the southeastern U.S. The National Hurricane Center on Monday highlighted an area off the coast of the southeastern U.S. for potential development. A non-tropical area of low pressure is expected to form there. Inland flooding: The growing hurricane threat far from the coast The system has a chance of gradually developing tropical or subtropical characteristics if it remains offshore. It has a very low chance of development over the next week. The first tropical storm of the season will be named 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tracking the Tropics: The state of hurricanes
The consensus is clear. The 2025 hurricane season will be like its predecessors: extremely active. For our Tracking the Tropics special, Channel 9 is looking at hurricane seasons to know how these turbulent storms are coming at us, and how they've shaped the Carolinas. We're watching where these storms form, and we're introducing you to the threats Carolinians face from the mountains, to Charlotte, to the coast. >>See the stories from Severe Weather Team 9 starting at 8 p.m. Friday, May 30. Tune in to Channel 9 or stream online. (VIDEO: Rain leads to over a dozen mudslides in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene)
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center changes ‘Gulf of Mexico' to ‘Gulf of America'
Video above: NHC Director Dr. Michael Brennan joins Tracking the Tropics (August 2024) TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center, the Miami-based government entity tasked with monitoring tropical weather and issuing advisories during hurricane season, adopted the 'Gulf of America' name proposed by President Donald Trump. The NHC changed its website graphics to align with the president's executive order on Thursday. Mexico threatens to sue Google over Gulf of Mexico name change The label of the body of water bordering Florida's west coast, which used to say 'Gulf of Mexico,' now reads 'Gulf of America.' The NHC's tropical weather discussion bulletin issued Friday also adopted the name change. The discussion includes a 'Gulf of America gale warning' ahead of an oncoming cold front. The name change was also reflected on the NHC's satellite imagery page, though the body of water's former name can be spotted in a few places on the National Weather Service website. This comes just months ahead of the 2025 hurricane season, which begins June 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
