Extreme Weather Watch Thread 2010

I am more or less replying just to say thanks for starting this thread.

I was thinking about starting a thread when Hurricane Season starts, for those of us that enjoy following storms, but then after doing a search, I found this.

Maybe activity will pick up on this thread, star and flag for you.

Perhaps this could be a yearly thread covering Hurricanes, Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms.. much like two of my favorite threads, Quake Watch 2010 and Volcano Watch 2010.

I am going to compile some links to some of the tools that I use to follow storms and some relevant weather sites and post them here.

NOAA's National Weather Service will use a new hurricane scale this season called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The scale keeps the same wind speed ranges as the original Saffir-Simpson Scale for each of the five hurricane categories, but no longer ties specific storm surge and flooding effects to each category.

Herbert Saffir, a consulting engineer, and Robert Simpson, who was director of the National Hurricane Center from 1967 through 1973, developed the original scale which was a useful tool to convey the threats of tropical cyclones. Changes were made to the Saffir-Simpson Scale because storm surge values and associated flooding are dependent on a combination of the storm’s intensity, size, motion and barometric pressure, as well as the depth of the near-shore waters and local topographical features. As a result, storm surge values can be significantly outside the ranges suggested in the original scale.

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To me this was a much needed change, and I'm glad that it was finally made. I am still compiling some info to have posted here by next week in preparation for hurricane season. Please anyone feel free to share any relevant links that you have as well.

Relevant Links:
National Hurricane Center
Hurricane FAQs
Hurricanes: Online Meteorology Guide

Coastal Concerns: T-storms and "Alex"?

The aforementioned "lingering low" may also play a role in the development of a feature in the tropics.
Yes, you heard that right. Before you begin cancelling your plans, however, let's explain this potential and, hopefully, allay some fears.
In the infrared satellite image below, you may notice a cluster of clouds (orange shadings) east of the Bahamas and north of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). You can also clearly see our "lingering low" swirling into the eastern U.S.

Source

A named storm this early in the year would be unusual but not unprecedented. For example, just over 3 years ago low pressure off the Carolinas combined with high pressure over the Northeast to set up a prolonged period of strong winds and surf. The National Hurricane Center later designated this low "Subtropical Storm Andrea" as it slumped south off the Florida coast.

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Ok, so this has the potential to be the first named storm of the season.

Just wanted to throw this up there if anyone ever reads it.. as a heads up.

Storm prompts El Salvador, Nicaragua evacuations

One woman was killed and rescue workers evacuated some 2,000 people in El Salvador and Nicaragua as a strengthening low-pressure system threatened to become the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season. The system off the Pacific coasts of Guatemala and southern Mexico dumped torrential rain in Central America, swelling rivers and damaging homes on Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the system would likely develop into a tropical depression by Saturday and could become a tropical storm as soon as Sunday. A 48-year-old woman drowned after she was swept away when trying to cross an overflowing river in north-central Nicaragua, said Colonel Gilberto Navarez, the country's deputy director of civil defense.

More than 150 people were killed in El Salvador last November after Hurricane Ida triggered massive flooding and landslides.

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Originally posted by NorthStargal52
reply to post by Chonx

 

I apologize if this seems off topic.. I watched that clip of news about the Surfers in California and that was a big wave.... I lived in California back in the 70's every day I was at Huntington Beach and elsewhere that never happened to me ... anyone know what could of caused that ...

I know it was a while ago, but what clip are you talking about? Being a surfer, I'm naturally interested in anything wave related. Are you talking about the one at Mavericks?

If you were in California in the 70's, I'm guessing (actually, I'm pretty sure) you didn't go to Mavericks. It was originally surfed by Jeff Clarke when he first rode it at age 17 in 1975. He surfed it alone for another 15 years, while most people had no idea it existed. It is now well known in the surf community as a premier big wave spot.



Waves such as this are formed due to changes in the sea floor topography. The shape of the underwater reef causes a part of the wave to slow down, causing the wave to refract and focus it's energy into a smaller area. This causes the wave to peak then break with a lot of force. A similiar spot is Peahi aka Jaws in Hawaii. Mavericks is 1/2 a mile out to sea, and takes the full force of large, long period swells that generate from storms much further out to sea.

If you are seeing big waves in California, this is quite possibly where it would be.

After posting above I found this video which describes the process of big wave formation at Mavericks quite well. Better than I could in a post anyway



This place has always been hammered by massive waves, it's just now it gets a lot more media attention. Just like with other forms of extreme weather, it is getting reported on more than it used to due to advances in technology, knowledge and communication, not because of an actual increase in extreme weather events.

i agree weather is changing its getting hotter
an extreme heat wave expected this week here in holland europe
great thread

well today is the hottes day
36 degrees celcius
im sure it some kind of record

reply to post by icecold7


Not far off. Looks like the official highest temp was 35.5c in Eindhoven - though some stations may have been warmer.

Highest temperature ever recorded in the Nederlands is 38.6c