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Atlantic Hurricane Season 2022: Hurricane Earl Threatens Bermuda

After a quieter than usual August, the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season is showing more signs of activity with Hurricane Earl threatening Bermuda and Hurricane Danielle strengthening in the Atlantic and possibly affecting Ireland.

Published 2 years ago

: Hurricane Earl (c) National Hurricane Center

In an Advisory notice issued at 11.00pm AST on Thursday September 8, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that although Earl’s centre was forecast to pass southeast of Bermuda, tropical storm force winds were expected to hit the island Thursday night into Friday morning,

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Hurricane Earl was centered about 140 miles (225 kilometers) south of Bermuda and was headed north-northeast at 16 mph (26 kilometers per hour).

“Hurricane conditions are possible on Bermuda overnight,” the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

“Earl is expected to further accelerate Thursday night and make a more northeastward turn Friday. It’s also growing larger, with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the (hurricane’s) center.

“Earl could become a major hurricane by Friday,” the NHC added. “Thereafter, some weakening and transition into a powerful extratropical cyclone is forecast on Saturday.”

: Wind speeds for Hurricane Earl (c) National Hurricane Center

Swell Warning for US East Coast

Swells generated by Hurricane Earl have been building near Bermuda and are expected to reach the US East Coast later on thursday, according to weather forecasters on the US East Coast.

The National Weather Service of Boston warned of increasing swells and rip currents for the weekend and in Wilmington, North Carolina, weather officials were also expecting powerful swells from the hurricane through to at least Sunday which could lead to “rough surf and minor coastal flooding.”

Hurricane Danielle Takes New Direction

Hurricane Danielle which has been swirling around in the mid-Atlantic for a week or more has taken an “unexpected” new direction as one weather expert described the storm as an “impressive looking beast.”

Recent forecasts had shown the high-strength weather event tracking towards Ireland as experts remained on alert for updates on its pending arrival according to reports in the Irish media.

Tropical Storm Danielle became the first named hurricane of the Atlantic season on September 1 and was the first named storm in the North Atlantic since July 3, according to the National Hurricane Center but formed in the Atlantic, well offshore from any land mass.

This was only the third August since 1950 and the first August in 25 years not to bring a single named storm in the Atlantic. It’s also the first time since 1941 that there wasn’t a named storm in the Atlantic from July 3 to August 30, according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University.

The average date for the season’s first hurricane is August 11.

Tropical Storm Kay Affecting Mexico’s Baja Peninsula

The National Hurricane Center has also issued a Tropical Storm Warning along the west and east coasts of the Baja California peninsula.

The NHC is warning that Tropical Storm Kay will bring dangerous storm surges and coastal flooding in areas of onshore winds along the west coast of the central Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Heavy rainfall is also predicted for the Baja California Peninsula, Northwest Mainland Mexico and Southern California which could lead to flash flooding, with landslides possible across mountainous areas of Mexico.

Swells generated by TS Kay will continue to affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico into the weekend. Large swells are expected to spread northward along the Baja California peninsula coast, into the Gulf of California and to southern California during the next couple of days. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.