The Atlantic is active as hurricane season peaks
Monday marked the peak of hurricane season, and as if right on cue, the Atlantic Ocean had three storms lined up in a row. While not common during the hurricane season, it’s not unusual during this time of year to see multiple storms in a row. Just last year, the Atlantic Ocean had hurricanes Katia, Irma and Jose following in line with one another.
Of the three storms in the Atlantic, only one looks to impact the US mainland. Unfortunately, the one set to make landfall along the east coast is also the strongest storm this season. At 140 mph, Hurricane Florence could make landfall as a major hurricane in either of the Carolinas or Virginia later this week. Hurricane watches will be issued in the coming days as the system draws closer to shore, which is prompting many people to already take action.
The second storm is Hurricane Isaac, a small, weak hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. The track keeps the storm heading west in which it will encounter wind shear and the Lesser Antilles. This interaction with both will cause the storm to weaken once more into a tropical storm. From there, the storm will need to be monitored to see what happens. Of note though, both the EURO and GFS, which are global weather models, does diminish the system early next week.
While three active systems are swirling in the Atlantic Basin, there is also a disturbance being monitored in the Caribbean Sea for potential development in the coming days. It will bear watching, but it speaks to the September timing of storms. The reason we see such an increase in activity has to do with the average water temperature warming above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a key ingredient in hurricane formation. More than 90 percent of all major hurricanes that do form occur a few weeks before the peak of hurricane season and into the second week of October.
Stay with ABC 17 News as we continue to monitor the tropics and the latest changes on the hurricanes. You can also follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.
