Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – A First Look
It’s been about two weeks since we were last discussing tropical storms and the potential for another hurricane in the 2012 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.
The last couple of storms sort of fizzled out and posed no threat whatsoever to the continental U.S. This latest storm, Tropical Storm Isaac, looks like it could be rather interesting for residents in Florida and the southeastern United States.
Tropical Storm Isaac recently strengthened from a tropical depression into a tropical storm.
The latest public advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, places Tropical Storm Isaac in the Atlantic Ocean about 390 miles east of the island of Guadeloupe. The tropical storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and it’s currently tracking to the west at 18 mph.
Computer models are predicting a decrease in the wind shear currently affecting the tropical storm, thus allowing the storm to increase to a hurricane within the next couple of days. With this forecast in mind, hurricane watches are already in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
An atmospheric ridge in the Atlantic Ocean north of the tropical cyclone is expected to keep Tropical Storm Isaac on a westward track for the next couple of days. The question is: when will the storm clear the ridge and make the anticipated right turn to the north?
Right now the computer models take Tropical Storm Isaac over Haiti and the island of Cuba. Such a forecast will decrease the strength of the storm when it passes over Cuba. But if the tropical cyclone barely touches land and reaches the warm waters around the Bahamas, then southern Florida could be facing the strength of a moderate to major hurricane.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING is currently in effect for the following locations:
- Martinique
- Dominica
- Guadeloupe and the surrounding islands
- the northern half of the Lesser Antilles
- British Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
A HURRICANE WATCH is currently in effect for the following locations:
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
The next 36-48 hours will be very interesting for Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac. By then we should have a better understanding if this storm will be a threat to Florida and the southeastern U.S.