A Rarity: Two Category 4 Hurricanes
John Ghiorse, GoLocalProv Meteorologist
A Rarity: Two Category 4 Hurricanes
A Rarity: Two Category 4 Hurricanes
Both Igor and Julia are Category 4 Hurricanes this morning and thankfully, both storms are still far from any land areas. It is only the second time in history that two Category 4 storms have existed in the Atlantic Basin at the same time. Also, Tropical Storm Karl is approaching Category 1 Hurricane status as it nears Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The official track forecasts continue to swing Igor very close to Bermuda late in the weekend while Julia remains well away from any land area. Karl will weaken as it crosses the Yucatan and may regain strength as it reemerges into the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow. All three storms are still no threat to any location along the U.S. East Coast. The official advisories are as follows.
IGOR
AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IGOR WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 54.5 WEST. IGOR IS MOVING
TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR. A GENERALLY
NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...230 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. IGOR IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE ANTICIPATED
DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES...75 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 225
MILES...360 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 935 MB...27.61 INCHES.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
SURF...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY IGOR ARE AFFECTING THE LEEWARD
ISLANDS...AND WILL REACH PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
TODAY. THE SWELLS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE
LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS.
JULIA
AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JULIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 17.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 31.8 WEST. JULIA IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR. A TURN TO THE
WEST-NORTHWEST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER
THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 135 MPH...215
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JULIA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TODAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 950 MB...28.05 INCHES.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
NONE.
KARL
AT 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KARL WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.7 WEST. KARL IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF
KARL WILL MOVE OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA LATER TODAY...AND MOVE
INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE AND KARL COULD
APPROACH HURRICANE INTENSITY JUST BEFORE LANDFALL. WEAKENING IS
EXPECTED AFTER LANDFALL...AND RESTRENGTHENING IS FORECAST ON
THURSDAY AFTER KARL MOVES OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...
WHERE KARL IS LIKELY TO BECOME A HURRICANE.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES...75 KM
FROM THE CENTER.
AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE REPORTED A MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 995 MB...29.38 INCHES.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD OVER PORTIONS OF THE
WARNING AREA IN A FEW HOURS.
STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE SOME COASTAL
FLOODING NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.
NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND
DAMAGING WAVES.
RAINFALL...KARL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3
TO 5 INCHES OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...BELIZE...AND NORTHERN
GUATEMALA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES.