Today's Top Weather Stories
On Weather & Climate Through the Eyes of Mark Vogan
BREAKING NEWS
Hurricane-force wind gusts reported on Bermuda as Igor approaches
CNN
Cloud Shield associated with Igor stretches a distance from the Bahamas to Nova Scotia!!
Thought's by Mark Vogan
Despite the weakening of Igor's "Maximum Sustained Winds" of the core, the overall power of any hurricane as it expands and spreads it's tropical storm-force winds, it can often be underestimated and sometimes there can be underlying strengthening properties even within a "weakening" storm, such as underlying dangers as the storm expands. In increased threat of tornadoes can occur as well as stronger winds that are embedded within squalls and pockets perhaps 100 or more miles away from the actual center of the system... The center is often looked at too closely, rather than looking at the "net power" or overall power of the entire system.
What I mean is, that despite Igor weakening to "only 75mph" it's size is causing more problems on Bermuda than folks think, especially people that are only watching this through TV or computer screens like myself. The power of wave action, height of those waves, rip currents, even damage to properties which are exposed on coast lines and cliffs.. The flooding risk is also high with perhaps 6-12 inches of rain falling from this system. I always worry about embedded winds stronger than those detected, whether it be from a squall or a tornado which may actually generate 150mph winds rather than 75 mph from the actual hurricane... These powerhouse storms have embedded within them and are spinning around and within the overall circulation, seperate little storms, those are dangerous....
I shall have details of Igor's impacts on Bermuda shortly!
Image Courtesy of Jesse Ferrell's Blog
MORE NEWS ON IGOR
Conditions Deteriorating on Bermuda as Igor Approaches
AccuWeather News
Newfoundland Next in Line for Igor's Fury
AccuWeather News
LATEST ON KARL
Karl Adds to Wet Season Woes for Mexico
AccuWeather News
IN THE TROPICS GLOBALLY
Fanapi Slams Taiwan, Aims for China Next
AccuWeather News
Taiwan cleans up as Typhoon Fanapi reaches China
BBC Weather
Today's Weather across America
From AccuWeather
More Downpours for Storm-Soaked Southern Texas
By Katie Storbeck, Meteorologist
Conditions Ripe for Wildfires from Nevada to Wyoming
By Katie Storbeck, Meteorologist
Igor to Further Rough Up Seas Along U.S. East Coast
By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist
Weather Talk
By Mark Vogan
COMPARING HURRICANE IGOR OF 2010 WITH FABIAN OF 2003
IMPACTS FROM FABIAN
1) Eastern Eyewall crossed the Island.
2) A 10-minute average wind speed of 120mph was reported.
3) A 164mph gust was reported at Bermuda Harbor Radio.
4) A storm surge exceeded 11 feet.
5) Damage totalled 300 million in 2003 US dollars, worst since 1926.
Apparently, waves generated by Fabian as it progressed northeastwards into the colder North Atlantic waters of up to 60 feet over the Grand Banks, south of Newfoundland, sank the Pacific Attitude ship.
IMPACTS FROM IGOR (SO FAR)
RECORDS
By late on September 16th, Igor's diameter reached 575 miles, but by the morning of the 19th it stretched out further to a remarkable 633 miles, making Igor amoung the largest Atlantic hurricane's on record.
Like Katrina and Ike, size really matters when it comes to storm surge and Bermuda likely will see a higher than normal surge for a category 1 storm because of not only it's vast size but the power it maintained prior to weakening, which would have been transfered to wave and storm surge action underneath on the ocean surface. Although the geography is very different between the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast and Bermuda's Atlantic coastline, Katrina generated a 30 feet storm surge and was likely just a category 2 storm once onshore, but it's size and intensity within the central Gulf of cat 5, meant that as the system weakened within it's core, it retained the energy of category 5 in it's waves and 30 foot rise of the ocean and brought this energy onshore.... There's a delayed reaction and the reduction in energy on the water takes longer to weaken than the energy within the storm in terms of wind energy.
Igor is weaker than Fabian and winds recorded over the island will be considerably lower than what was experienced with Fabian, therefore damage to property will be less, but remember what was written above. This storm is much larger than Fabian and was, just a few days ago, a category 4, then cat 3, so the vast size picks up water covering a much greater area than a storm half it's size, so just because the storm is considered weak on paper, doesn't mean it can't bring waves and storm surge much stronger than what would be considered for a storm of category 1 intensity as this energy which was generated as the storm grew in size and was a powerful category 3 or 4...
I believe the greatest impacts from Igor will be wave action and a surge perhaps of 6-8 feet as well as some damage to properties that are exposed along the rugged coastline from waves of 20-30+ feet which are on top of a sea 6-8 feet higher than normal. Winds gusting beyond 75 mph will also, naturally create damage and there is of course the mentality from people and particularly those visiting that may not be too familiar with hurricanes that because this storm has weakened, certainly with it's wind speeds, there will be stronger wind gusts that take people by surprise, catching them off guard and raising the danger because of this, many also may be unaware of how the power of the sea....
What's Reaching Today's Blogs?
Radar: Hurricane Igor Bearing Down on Bermuda
Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather
The Extremes of the Day
Today's US Extremes
Courtesy of AccuWeather
High: 113 degrees at Yuma, AZ
Low: 20 degrees at Bodie State Park, CA
Today's UK Extremes
Courtesy of the Met Office
High: 67 degrees at Murlough (Co Down)
Low: 36 degrees at Wick Airport (Caithness)
Today's Extremes here at my house
High: 58 degrees
Low: 47 degrees
TODAY'S COND
A wet, foggy, miserible morning with pockets of very heavy rain, clearing by afternoon but resumed by mid evening. Remained cool with the lack of sunlight.
Thanks for reading.
-Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment