Tropical Action To The East And West

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Not much change in our thinking… Alabama’s weather will stay very quiet through the next seven days with only the risk of widely scattered showers along the way. Afternoon highs will be in the 87 to 90 degree range, about where we should be this time of the year.

TO THE WEST: Gustav is still producing heavy rain, flash flooding, and isolated tornadoes over Mississippi, Louisiana, and the southern part of Arkansas. Even a few more tornado warnings earlier today over Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Alabama. The center of circulation will meander around Shreveport during the next 24 hours, then the moisture will shear out to the north toward St. Louis and Chicago. No impact on our weather here in Alabama.

TO THE EAST: Tropical Storm Hanna will bring wind and rain to the Atlantic seaboard Friday and over the weekend, but Alabama will remain on the dry side of the system.

We note the 12Z models have shifted to the left (west), and accordingly the NHC track has adjusted a bit to the left as well, putting Hanna very close to Daytona Beach Friday morning, with a turn more to the north, and landfall on the South Carolina coast below Charleston Friday night. Remember, the worst weather will be on the east side of this storm, but it is possible tropical storm conditions, and maybe even hurricane conditions may impact the Florida East Coast Friday.

Hanna continues to fight hostile upper air winds, but those conditions are expected to relax and it should be a hurricane by the end of the week. Reminds me a little of Hurricane Floyd in 1999… but it most likely won’t be as strong. Everyone from Miami to Jacksonville to Charleston to Cape Hatteras will be keeping a very close watch on this one in coming days.

WAY TO THE EAST: Tropical Storm Ike really looks impressive on satellite images in the Central Atlantic this afternoon… this one should be a hurricane in the vicinity of the Southeast Bahamas this weekend. Perhaps a significant hurricane. We note the ECMWF takes Ike into the Gulf of Mexico, and seems to be another threat to the Central Gulf Coast next week (see the Weather Xtreme video for details). Need to keep an eye on this one.

WAY WAY TO THE EAST: Josephine is south of the Cape Verde Islands, and will be moving through water churned up by Ike. Might make it a rough ride, but we will keep watching.

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