The tropical storm, Lee, has been upgraded to a category one hurricane and is expected to intensify into a major category four hurricane by the weekend. It is forecasted to hit the Caribbean with winds of up to 150 miles per hour before turning north, potentially affecting the east coast of the U.S. The hurricane's path and potential impact on the mainland U.S. are being closely monitored by meteorologist Alex Tardy from the National Weather Service.
The unpredictability and potential for extreme events of hurricanes are discussed. Hurricanes are massive areas of thunderstorms rotating due to Earth's rotation. They can weaken and strengthen quickly, and their movement is affected by subtle changes in wind direction. These storms are steered by steering currents, which can make them seem unpredictable.
There is a trend of warmer waters leading to more powerful and extreme hurricanes. The heat and energy absorbed by the oceans and the tropics due to climate change can cause long-term warming of the ocean. This warming leads to the development of storms that can be stronger, more powerful, and more damaging.
The recent occurrence of Hurricane Hillary, which hit the West Coast of the U.S., is discussed. This event was a result of the longer-term warming seen in the Northern Pacific and parts of the Atlantic, not related to El Nino. The concern is that more extreme events will occur, but it is uncertain if these will necessarily be tropical cyclones. The focus is on the increased moisture, humidity, and energy leading to these extreme events.
1. The tropical storm that was being tracked has been upgraded to a category one hurricane.
2. The National Hurricane Center has warned that it could become extremely dangerous by Saturday.
3. The hurricane, named Lee, is expected to hit the Caribbean this weekend as a major category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 miles per hour.
4. It is projected to turn north off the east coast of the United States.
5. The hurricane forecast is based on water temperatures in the Caribbean, which are currently above average and warmer than they should be.
6. This is the time of year when we can see a lot of activity in the Atlantic, especially in September when ocean water temperatures are at their warmest.
7. The forecast for Lee is that it will be a major hurricane in the next couple of days, meaning it will be a category three or higher.
8. The unpredictability of hurricanes is due to the fact that they are very unique weather systems. They are massive areas of thunderstorms that are rotating because the Earth rotates, but they don't like wind even though they are full of it.
9. Hurricanes can weaken and strengthen faster than we expect. They are steered very subtly and a little change in wind direction could force it to go one way or another.
10. The recent warming trend has led to more powerful and more extreme hurricanes. This is because the heat and energy absorbed by the oceans and the tropics cause long-term warming of the ocean, which can lead to more severe weather events.
11. The longer term warming that we're seeing in the Northern Pacific and parts of the Atlantic are not related to El Nino.
12. The more extreme events that are occurring are due to more moisture, more humidity, and more energy. This can lead to heavy rain in the summer in the deserts or maybe it's just an extreme event in the winter like an atmospheric river.
13. When all the energy or all the moisture is pulled from one area, there are consequences. There's dry and warm on one side and wet on one side. There's warm and there's cold.
14. The recent years have seen a handful of all of these extreme events, including in California and other parts of the U.S.
15. The more we're seeing is more severity in individual events.