John Homenuk

Isaac passing near Key West, headed towards Gulf

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Tropical Storm Isaac continues to churn south of Florida this Sunday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds at 60 miles per hour as of the 200pm intermediate advisory. The West-Northwest movement continues as Isaac shifts north of Cuba and towards the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Force winds extend outward from the center of the storm, with widespread heavy rain and tropical winsd affecting parts of South Florida this afternoon and continuing into this evening. The latest radar imagery shows the center of circulation passing very near to Key West at 400pm EDT with at least a brief landfall expected along the Florida Keys this evening by the National Hurricane Center. Isaac weakened slightly from Sunday morning through Sunday afternoon, but the improved organization on both radar and satellite suggests the storm will begin to organize as it enters the Gulf.

 

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John Homenuk

Isaac heads towards Carribean, not an East Coast threat

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Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened slightly on Friday morning as it continued to churn towards the southern coast of Hispaniola. Maximum sustained winds were at 60 miles per hour, with a continued west-northwest movement around 15 miles per hour. The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center takes the center of Isaac towards Cuba by this weekend, with a prolonged northwest path over the Island. Some weakening and disorganization of the storm is almost guaranteed.

Beyond this, forecast model spread widens a bit as Isaac is expected to make an approach towards the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Interests from the coast of New Orleans and points east, including Florida, are urged to remain abreast of the situation and to check the latest forecast tracks and information on Isaac. It remains a significant uncertainty how much disorganization and weakening the storm will undergo over Cuba. And although the waters over the Gulf of Mexico are very warm and favorable for storm organizatino, it also remains uncertain if Isaac will have enough time to reorganize to pose a significant hurricane threat to the Gulf Coast states. Still, at this time, the percentage of Tropical Storm impacts somewhere on the Central or Eastern Gulf Coast states is increasing.

For our area, it appears the only impact Isaac may possibly have is in the form of remnant rains, which could ride north and east along a frontal zone during the middle of the week. No direct impacts are forecast in our area from the tropical system. Remember to stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center for updates on the storm this weekend and into next week.

John Homenuk

Scattered strong storms possible again today

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A cold front near the area will once again serve as a focal point for the development of numerous showers and thunderstorms this Saturday afternoon. The Storm Prediction Center has placed our area in a risk area (not quite “Slight Risk”, this time) for potential isolated severe weather. The main threats, again, look to be very heavy rain in any storms as well as the potential for lightning and isolated damaging wind gusts in storms that are able to maintain their strength. You can check out the Storm Prediction Center’s technical discussion by clicking here. Pinning down exactly where the heaviest rain will be, or most widespread storms will form is nearly impossible at this range. But it does appear that most in our area should at least see some activity today. Stay tuned to our Twitter account for live updates on the event during the day today.

John Homenuk

Developing: National Weather Service confirms tornado in Suffolk County

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This evening, the National Weather Service in Upton, NY confirmed that an EF-0 tornado touched down in Suffolk County, New York. The NWS estimated wind speeds of around 85 miles per hour. Earlier, wind damage reports were received from several locations on Long Island as a strong storm system battered the coastal sections of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Isolated tornadoes were in the forecast today from the Storm Prediction Center, who would later issue a Tornado Watch as the complex moved into Connecticut.

You can read the full description of the tornado event in a Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service below, or by clicking here.

 

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