Latest news with #WeatherNerds
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Tropical Storm Erin tracker: Maps show where the soon-to-be first hurricane of the Atlantic season is headed
Advertisement The strength and timing of the trough will change before Erin enters the picture, which will ultimately determine whether or not the United States and New England will see any impacts. Tropical Storm Erin formed on Monday near the Cabo Verde Islands off the west African coast and has been crawling west. The small but organized storm currently holds maximum wind speeds of 45 miles per hour. After struggling a bit with dry Saharan dust, Erin will shake free and become a long-lived hurricane with plenty of hot ocean temperatures and low wind shear ahead to help it strengthen further. If it reaches Category 3 strength, Erin will have met the threshold for a major hurricane, which packs devastating winds of at least 111 miles per hour. Advertisement Erin is the fifth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, and the farthest east-forming storm this year. The first named hurricane of an average hurricane season occurs on Aug. 11, and the first major hurricane, Category 3 or higher, typically forms on Sept. 1. These maps and images detail Tropical Storm Erin's progression and forecast tracks: Tropical Storm Erin will likely emerge as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Boston Globe Long-term modeling is uncertain of the exact track of Erin as it curves north along the coast. This spaghetti plot shows multiple possible tracks the storm could take. Weather Nerds High pressure in the Northern Atlantic and over the Eastern United States suggests Erin will stay out to sea. Boston Globe Erin will overcome a plume of dry Saharan dust to strengthen into a bona fide hurricane. Boston Globe Tropical Storm Erin pushes west across the Main Development Region of the Atlantic on Tuesday. NOAA Hurricanes that made landfall near New England since 1950. Boston Globe The Atlantic hurricane season typically peaks around Sept. 10. Boston Globe Ken Mahan can be reached at
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
The Atlantic sees the first chance for tropical activity off Carolina coast
Advertisement There is a 10 percent chance for a tropical storm to form off the Carolina coast in the next seven days. Boston Globe Simply put, we'll likely not see a tropical storm or hurricane but there is the chance for a subtropical system that could bring large waves and nasty rip currents across the east coast this weekend and into next week. The models suggest the high pressure that is bringing New England clear weather over the next few days will bump this system out to sea. Forecast models suggest this area of low pressure will stay away from the coast over the next week to 10 days. Weather Nerds June tropical storm and hurricane history It's interesting this is the second year in a row that we haven't seen a named storm before the start of the hurricane season. Last year's first named storm was on June 19, but back in 2023, we had a tropical storm named in you read that right. June usually starts slow because sea surface temperatures are still warming and there usually is more Saharan dust floating across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Saharan dust is very dry and wicks moisture from the atmosphere which is of course needed to spawn storms. Advertisement Of the storms that do form in June, they usually form near the mainland, in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Caribbean, and along the Atlantic coast. Typically during June, tropical storms and hurricanes emerge close to the mainland United States. Boston Globe Since record-keeping began in 1851, there have been 119 named storms during June. Of those named storms, 35 emerged into hurricanes with three turning into major, Category 3 or higher, hurricanes — of which last year's monster, Beryl, was the most recent. Increasing sea surface temperatures may be the reason why at least two named storms have formed in four of the last five Junes. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting 13 to 19 named storms this hurricane season for the Atlantic. This is more than average but less than last year. NOAA predicts an above-average hurricane season for the Atlantic basin. Boston Globe Ultimately, it only takes one devastating landfall to make a season memorable. Ken Mahan can be reached at
