In April the BBC was reporting an alarming forecast, as they put it. They said of the approaching storm season that ‘It could be one of most intense on record with up to 23 named storms predicted.’
But as of now, things have gone relatively quiet after 3 early storms including hurricane Beryl. The Guardian’s Weather Tracker today tries to explain it:
The early formation of storms such as Alberto, Beryl and Chris in late June and early July was facilitated by warm waters and a lack of dry air in the mid layers of the atmosphere. However, since Beryl’s track through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic basin has been relatively quiet. Sometimes dry Saharan air can inhibit the formation of tropical disturbances and cyclones which rely on a moist atmosphere for storm development, leading to a reduction in tropical weather activity in the Atlantic Ocean. This will apparently be the case over the next few weeks when there will be fewer cyclones due to the persistent dry air and dust from the Sahara.”
Dry Saharan air doesn’t sound like anything unusual, as it’s over a desert, but others may know better. Not wishing to put a curse on anyone potentially in the firing line of such storms, but could at least some of the leading forecasters have got over-excited again?
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Image credit: sanibelrealestateguide.com
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
July 15, 2024 at 01:03PM
Iowa Climate Science Education 