It’s hurricane season. How well do you know tropical terms?
Do you know the difference between a tropical disturbance and a tropical cyclone? Here are 10 terms Floridians should know.
A system in the Caribbean is showing early signs of forming and meteorologists are warning of impending problems for residents of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the latest warning from the National Hurricane Center.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a tropical depression or storm is likely to form over the next few days as it moves into the Gulf, where further strengthening is possible.
According to AccuWeather, this developing tropical threat is currently expected to impact similar areas in Florida that were hit hard by Hurricane Idalia in August 2023. The agency has not predicted a scenario in which Texas will be hit directly.
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“Now is the time to start preparing”
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter warned that preparations are imminent in the event of a hurricane making landfall, as rapid intensification is possible.
This phenomenon made Hurricane Beryl the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded before making landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and Matagorda on the Texas coast.
“Now is the time to prepare for a hurricane making landfall on the Gulf Coast. Don’t wait until this storm is officially named,” Porter said. “It has the potential to quickly develop into a powerful hurricane. Don’t let your friends and family on the Gulf Coast get caught off guard. Call or text them and tell them to prepare for a hurricane.
He added that the storm has the potential to develop into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 207 km/h.
Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, also noted that this constellation has the potential to become “the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States this season.”
Invest 97L: What you need to know
The National Hurricane Center reported that a tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form in the next few days as the system moves into the Gulf, where further strengthening is possible. The next named storm for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is Helene.
Regardless of further developments, however, the system is expected to cause heavy rainfall across much of Central America over the next few days.
The system is expected to move mostly northward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico later this week. Residents along the northern and northeastern Gulf Coast should also closely monitor the development of this system.
- Probability of occurrence within 48 hours: high, 70 percent.
- Probability of occurrence within 7 days: high, 90 percent.
Spaghetti models: See possible paths of Invest 97L
Special note on spaghetti models: The figures show a range of forecasting tools and models, and not all are the same. The Hurricane Center uses only the four or five best performing models for its forecasts.
Hurricane Tracker: See active storms in the Atlantic
How many named storms were there in 2024?
So far this year, seven tropical cyclones have formed, all of which have been named storms.
Four of them strengthened into hurricanes, including Hurricane Beryl, which strengthened into a major hurricane. In total, six systems made landfall this season, two of which hit Texas. These include:
- Tropical Storm Alberto: Reached the Texas coast in June 2024 with some flooding and had less impact on the region than originally forecast.
- Hurricane Beryl: Struck the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda on July 8, killing at least 38 people and setting a record for tornado spawning.
- Tropical Storm Chris: Brought heavy rains and flooding to parts of Mexico in early July.
- Hurricane Debby: Made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on August 5, causing severe damage along the east coast and killing at least 10 people.
- Hurricane Ernesto: On August 24, it struck Puerto Rico with severe flooding and then hit Bermuda. It was a moderate hurricane with three indirect fatalities.
- Hurricane Francine: Made landfall near Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, on September 11 as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall before rapidly weakening after landfall.
- Tropical Storm Gordon: Developed on September 13, but was hampered by wind shear and intensified only minimally. Gordon weakened back to a tropical depression on September 15 before degenerating into a low pressure area on September 17.
