Hurricane Irma becomes 2nd major hurricane of the 2017 season
For the first time since 2010, we’ve seen two major hurricanes form before Aug. 31.
Early Thursday afternoon, Irma become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 115 mph, after undergoing rapid intensification. Just 12 hours prior to becoming a major hurricane, it was a strong tropical storm with 70 mph winds.
While Irma is still more than 3,000 miles from the US mainland, it has already struck fear in many Americans. Just glancing at social media many are concerned about the potential impacts of Irma. We are still more than a week away from a potential landfall and a lot can happen.
Hurricane Irma has the potential to become one of the strongest hurricanes of the 2017 season. With Irma being over very warm ocean waters and in a favorable environment for strengthening, it could become a strong Category 4 hurricane or Category 5 over the next week.
As of 5 AM Friday, Irma was located 840 miles WNW of the Cabo Verde Islands and holding steady as a strong category 3 hurricane.
While Irma is expected to maintain a WNW track for the coming days, it will briefly shift to the southwest as a ridge builds into the Atlantic. From there, models diverge on the potential path of Irma, but a good cluster of ensembles either take Irma into the Gulf of Mexico or a potential East Coast landfall.
September is the peak month for hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin, so it’s no surprise we are beginning to see an uptick in activity.
Stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack as we continue to monitor the tropics and the potential impacts of Irma. You can also follow us on Twitter at @ABC17Stormtrack.
