Irene was on the lips of every weather commentator over the weekend. The storm did not have as bad of wind as originally projected but it still caused damage and quite a bit of flooding. Tragically, 26 deaths have been blamed on the storm. While zero fatalities would have been the most desireable result, considering that about 60 million people were in or near the path of the storm, it wasn’t the worst result one can imagine. I suppose we should get used to millions, maybe even hundreds of millions, being under threat from hurricanes, because cities around the world continue to grow – especially along the coasts – which makes each ocean-linked weather/natural disaster worse than the last. I am thinking insurance rates might need to go up in cities along the coast.
Speaking of ”being on the lips”, the funniest clip of the weekend is of an east coast weathercaster who was out in the storm and covered in a frothy sea foam blown up by the wind. I am unsure who figured out that there might also be human sewage mixed in with the foam (maybe a sewage treatment plant or drain pipe nearby?), but when the news anchors asked “what does the foam taste like?” it was quite funny. Here is a link to the video.
Irene once again formed during a time of year which is uncanny for its coordination with the season’s first major hurricane. There have been some fairly powerful hurricanes before August 20th, but the vast majority begin on or shortly after the 20th. You can practically set your watch to it. Here is an article about the curious timing. The late August ramp-up of major hurricanes is most likely due to the water temperature hitting its warmest point of the year and the atmospheric winds becoming more favorable (low wind shear).
In regards to monitoring and predicting hurricanes, there is still a lot to learn and this year meteorologists are using a new diagnostic method to get a better look inside hurricanes as they develop and intensify. It is analyzing passive microwave radiation. By observing the amount of ice in hurricane clouds using satellites that sense microwave radiation, forecasters should be able to more accurately predict when hurricanes go through a period rapid intensification.
Have a nice Monday! Meteorologist Justin Loew