EXPLAINING THE RECENT DEARTH IN TROPICAL ACTIVITY
|| By FITSNEWS || From 2010-2012, the Atlantic basin churned out some serious storms. Each year produced 19 named tropical systems – tying for the third-most active year on record.
During that stretch there were 29 hurricanes – including eleven major storms.
Things have quieted down considerably since then. Two years ago the Atlantic basin produced only fourteen named storms, only two of which became hurricanes (and none of which turned into major hurricanes). It was the weakest season on record in eighty-five years.
Last year saw only nine named storms, six of which became hurricanes – including two major storms (Edouard and Gonzalo). Neither of those major systems made landfall, though.
This year’s tropical activity appeared as though it might get off to a busy start – with May producing Tropical Storm Ana, the earliest system ever to make landfall in the United States. But there have been only two storms since – and none of them have reached hurricane strength.
Experts have projected 2015 will ultimately produce just seven named storms – with three hurricanes (one of which will become a major storm).
What gives?
We’re not sure what prompted the slow seasons in 2013 and 2014, but this year’s dearth of storm activity is being attributed to a potentially record-setting El Niño.
For those of you unhip to the term, El Niño is the periodic warming of the central and eastern equatorial regions of the Pacific Ocean. According to The Weather Channel, it is “firmly entrenched as of mid-July across a wide swath of the equatorial Pacific basin from off the northwest coast of South America to the International Date Line.”
In fact if current conditions prevail, this El Niño could become the strongest on record – “intensifying into the upcoming fall or winter” and possibly enduring through the spring of 2016.
Global warming, right? Um, no. We addressed that recently. In fact since our post, scientists have projected that sun spot activity over the next few decades will drop to its lowest level in nearly four centuries.
Lots of stuff is at play, in other words …
Focusing on the immediate future, why does warmer water in the Pacific translate into fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic?
“The subtropical, or southern branch of the jet stream is typically more robust in a strong El Niño, leading to increased wind shear in parts of the Atlantic Basin,” The Weather Channel report noted. “This is one factor, along with dry air, that limits the development and strengthening of tropical cyclones.”
Interesting …
We don’t especially care what’s keeping the storms at bay … we’re just glad something is. South Carolina has seen 23 hurricane landfalls since 1893 – the most infamous being Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Fortunately the state has avoided any direct hits from major storms since then, although there have been several close calls – including Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Let’s hope that streak continues …
41 comments
Hurricanes need warm water, tropical air and a low pressure to form. Grand Tango has sucked all the tropical air out, and his talking is creating high pressure.
Someone schooled you on the other thread. Exposing your ignorance Must be getting to you. But I don’t think it’s GT. But he was very good at using you.
I got schooled? a) That’s too funny. b) It’s summer – schools out.
Not for Pogo and GrandTango, failures like them get stuck in school for the summer due to their intellectual deficiencies holding them back from the rest of the class.
And people think being homeschooled is all fun and games…
The technical explanation is they come and they go.
Max, this is when you are at your best — you cut straight through to the gut string….
Have you tried rebooting your Earth?
We tried that 65 million years ago, lost half the species and weren’t able to recover them from the back-up files, not only that it ran the simulated asteroid event package which I didn’t even install. Do you have another suggestion?
It doesn’t matter. According to Elon Musk, the chances are good we are simply organic bootloaders for an advanced AI that will wipe us out eventually like Skynet.
If the bootloaders are this badly coded can anything good really come of them?
Spending my days at Club Hel wouldn’t be so bad.
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bp….
http://www.followcareersdevelopersangus/quick/dollars….
You nailed it.
Science is as powerful epistemologically as it is weak politically.
You know nothing about the weather and stop writing this crap. The Oceans have “flipped” temps and we are going to have a back to back El Nino, which has happened before. We are NOT going to have a record nino as this one is behind the 97 nino at this point. Could it change, sure but doubt it. It will be strong one though. You have a -AO and a -NAO with a +PNA and that kills canes in the Atlantic. But check on the pacific, it is on fire with Hurricanes just lining up. Pretty impressive IMHO.
As for global warming, it is a hoax and everyone should know it. We are entering a cooling sun period that will cause the temps to drop some. All of these studies never look at the sun and is it “hot” period or a “Cool” period.
God is rewarding SC of taking that horrible racist flag down.
I knew there had to be a logical explanation some where. LOL
Wow. Your first paragraph is spot on. I thought you might really know what you’re talkin’ about. Then came the second paragraph. You should know that we find no changes in solar radiation over any continent in the last century!
You liberals ALWAYS want to be an authority on EVERYTHING. Just like you run to lay BLAME after anything that goes wrong. That’s why you tried to tell us how many hurricanes there would be every year. You keep doing it, no matter how stupid it makes you look.
Katrina even allowed you to savage Bush and promote global warming. When there are no natural disasters, you usually try to take credit for it.
You people are so predictable, even though you look like fucking idiots when you make predictions. Your whole lives are based in myths, lies and fables fed to you by the Democrat Party. And that’s why you look like fools so often.
You nailed it. Weather is a liberal conspiracy. Now, pass the meth pipe…
Weather is something that happens outdoors, so it should be of no concern to you, GrandTango.
It just seems like liberals are authorities on everything, because every last one of them is way smarter than you.
An earthworm couldn’t squeeze under the bar of GrandTango’s intellect.
Obama is saving us from hurricanes.
Yep, Hugo happened on a republican president’s watch. Katrina happened on another president’s watch. Damn liberal weather!!!
God Hates GOP
Republicans Lose God Laughs
Day 3556 since the last major hurricane struck the US. Hurricane Wilma struck the Outer Banks of NC on October 24, 2005.
They call me storm chaser super mega tripple doppler net 5000 HD chief meteorligist Nolff. Science and math is wrong.
“They call me storm chaser ”
Dude, how did you get “storm chaser” from “chubby chaser”?
:)
I’m just as much into weather as I am into fat girls.
lulz…they certainly appreciate the lovin’ better and that can translate to a more energetic performance on their part.
Everyone knows the lack of hurricane activity is due to global warming, err global cooling, err climate change. Oh well it has to be caused by something politicians can use to add taxes and regulations. Just give them time to dream up something. It could never be a natural occurrence , or sun spot activity, or warming or cooling of the oceans, they can’t tax that.
Lots of big storms in the Pacific this year
As there are every year…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pacific_hurricanes
Trump visited, so we had a no pressure folical depression.
Peeps need to learn the difference between weather and climate. Of course i dont expect Fox news viewers to learn the diff but the rest…well come on its not that hard.
Does FoxNews do the weather? Or is it all just Obama’s fault?
I’m not Al Gore, but “El Nino” seems to be the answer. Well that, and inverted hockey sticks.
Too bad, I was rooting for global warming.
I love it when political pundits try to pretend to be “into” science. It’s adorable.
The lack of hurricanes is earth’s warning to us about the tons of CO2 we are continuing to pump into our atmosphere!!!!
Oh. Wait…..