• Meteorologists Predict Intense, Active Hurricane Season for 2024
  

  Hurricane Francine Makes Landfall
  

  Francine was a category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds making landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.

• Francine is forecasted to intensify quickly as atmospheric conditions remain favorable over the NW Gulf of Mexico. We’re looking at landfall around mid-day Wednesday across southern Louisiana as a CAT2 storm.
  #Francine is now a Cat 2 #hurricane with max winds of 100 mph as it approaches Louisiana.
• Since 2000, 7 Cat 2+ hurricanes have made Louisiana landfall:
  Katrina-2005-Cat 3
  Rita-2005-Cat 3
  Gustav-2008-Cat 2
  Laura-2020-Cat 4
  Delta-2020-Cat 2
  Zeta-2020-Cat 3
  Ida-2021-Cat 4

Next Tropical Depression in the Atlantic

• Tropical Depression 7 has formed west of the Cabo Verde Islands. The next name on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season list is Gordon.

Bebinca was a tropical storm in the Philippine Sea early Thursday China Standard Time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 46 miles per hour.

The Japan Meteorological Agency’s RSMC Tokyo Typhoon Center officially classifies #Bebinca as a Severe Tropical Storm as it is forecasting an entrance into the Philippine Area of Responsibility and another landfall in China

Atlantic Hurricane Season 2024 Highlights

Hurricane Francine will be the 3rd continental US hurricane landfall this year (Beryl, Debby). Eight other years since 1900 have had 3+ continental US hurricane landfalls by 9/11: 1915, 1916, 1933, 1934, 1985, 2004, 2005, 2020.

• Record-Breaking Hurricane Beryl Battered Texas with Floods and Storm Surge

The Essential Tools for Tracking Tropical Storms

When it comes to keeping tabs on developing tropical storms and hurricanes, there are three essential maps you should be familiar with: the Forecast Cone, satellite imagery, and radar. The National Hurricane Center’s Forecast Cone provides a visual representation of the storm’s most likely path, including a shaded area indicating the potential range of error. Satellite imagery offers a real-time view of the storm’s cloud structure and organization, which forecasters use to assess its strength and potential for intensification. Finally, radar imagery provides highly detailed information about precipitation intensity and storm movement, especially helpful for pinpointing the exact location of the eye or eyewall in strong hurricanes. The Forecast Cone shows you where the storm is likely headed. Satellite images reveal its size and cloud patterns, hinting at how strong the storm is. Radar pinpoints heavy rain and the exact location of the storm’s center, especially crucial as it gets closer to land.

Going Deeper for Specific Risks

Need more detail? Specialized maps offer incredible insights. Wind Speed Probabilities maps tell you the chances of dangerous winds hitting your area. Storm Surge maps highlight where flooding from the ocean is a threat – a must for coastal areas. And those squiggly “spaghetti models” give a sense of how much uncertainty there is in the longer-term forecast.

Essential Maps:

Forecast Cone (NHC): The iconic cone-shaped graphic shows the probable track of a storm’s center and the likely range of possibilities. It’s important to remember that impacts can occur outside the cone.

Satellite Imagery:

•  Provides real-time visuals of the storm’s cloud structure and organization. Helps identify areas of heavy rain, potential intensification, and the storm’s overall size.

Radar: Provides detailed information about rainfall intensity, storm movement, and can help pinpoint the eye or eyewall for strong hurricanes. Particularly useful for short-term tracking and understanding local impacts.

Specialized Maps:

Wind Speed Probabilities: Shows the chance of experiencing tropical storm-force or hurricane-force winds at a specific location. Useful for gauging potential wind damage risks.

Storm Surge Maps: Displays the predicted areas at risk of flooding from storm surge, a major hazard of hurricanes. Critical information for coastal residents.

Spaghetti Models: Collections of potential storm tracks from various forecast models. Helps visualize the uncertainty in the forecast, especially further in the future.

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