Thread: Hurricane RECORD This Morning!

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UPDATE 5 AM AST: Second time in 100-years two coincident Category 4′s in the Atlantic…together, Igor and Julia have the highest coincident intensities on record.


From Hurricane Julia explodes — Atlantic has two coincident Category 4 hurricanes, very rare | Watts Up With That?


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Two major hurricanes exist simultaneously in the North Atlantic, a rare occurrence. With the current intensities of Julia and Igor, this has only happened 3-times in the past 60-years: 1950 [Dog & Easy], 1958 [Helene & Ilsa], and 1999 [Floyd & Gert]. But Igor and Julia just are not major hurricanes, they are Category 4′s.

The only occurrence since 1900 happened on September 15, 1926 at 06Z with Hurricane 4 [115 knots] and the Great Miami Hurricane [120 knots].

Igor and Julia have coincident intensities that are unprecedented: Igor: 130 knots & Julia: 115 knots

Note:
Igor 130 knts = 145 mph
Julia 115 knts = 135 mph

Can those 2 hurricanes merge???

What would happen if they did???

Ok here's my amateur answer for you (experts could probably do a better and more accurate job, but I'm giving you what I recall)

Tropical systems CAN and do merge. But I think that is probably not going to happen at this point, because it's my understanding that usually a stronger storm eats a weaker storm. Really, a stronger storm can shear a weaker one and absorb its energy.

With both being Cat 4's, there is another scenario possible (it's very rare, but it can happen)
It's called the fujiwara effect, where two strong systems approach one another, and become 'dance partners,' as it were, rotating around a common axis. This would potentially alter the course of both storms, and make forecasting their tracks a challange. For this to happen, the storms need to come within a certain distance of one another. I think it's about 650 nautical miles.

If you are really intrested in this phenomenom, please look it up for more expert analysis.. I am doing this from memory of what I have read here and there, and I am not a meteorologist, nor do I plaly one on TV!

This hurricane season is certainly keeping the forecasters on their toes!

We have been fortunate, so far, in that we have not had any major storm come ashore and cause havoc and loss of life.


Bermuda seems to be the target of these 2 storms, at the moment. Of course, things could change before landfall.

BTW -
Did the folks at the NHC NAIL it when they said this season would be hyper-active, or what?

Poor Bermuda. Batten down the hatches, everyone.

Igor is probably gonna hit or come very close to Bermuda. Julia is not forecast to do so. They don't need two!
Of course Bermuda is one of the most hurricane-prepared places on earth, but they still don't need a cat 4 or 5. Nobody does! Hopefully, the forecasts are right, and Igor will weaken some before he gets there - He should, given the cooler waters and other factors.

Wow Sheila, I didn't know that. What a year

It sure is something, isnt it?
SO much activity - so vry much - and the US has been incredibly lucky so far. Someone's smiling on us
Let's hope the smile continues through the second half of the season . . .