The 2022 North Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th. During the most recent 30-year average (1991-2020) there has been, on average, about 14-15 named tropical cyclones. Of these, about 7-8 become hurricanes and 3-4 become major hurricanes.
NOAA has recently published their Seasonal Hurricane Outlook calling for increased activity again this hurricane season. The prediction for another active season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon.
There are bad days in the office…and then there is this. Here in Newfoundand we had a post tropical storm pass the island. While the offshore platforms and vessel are safe we did get high winds, seas, and rain. This is the CGS MOLLY KOOL afloat in the graving dock here in St. John’s. The thing is…she was on her blocks in the dock.
Photo: Christopher Hearn Director, Centre for Marine Simulation at Marine Institute St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
PS> No this is NOT simulation, or a photoshop job.
Major Hurricane Fiona, centered 35 nm NNW of Grand Turk Island is moving NNW at 8 kts with max winds now 100 kts and significant wave heights to 34 feet (10.4 meters) . Hurricane force winds extend outward 20-25 nm with 50 knot winds outward 40-60 nm. Observations from Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the central pressure is 961 mb.
Although there is moderate wind shear, Fiona will pass over warm SSTs during the next 48 hours allowing Fiona to intensify into a category 4 hurricane. After 3-4 days Fiona will interact with mid-latitude trough moving into the Atlantic and should start to transition into an extra-tropical storm as it accelerates NNE to NE.
