TROPICS: Kirk & Leslie in Altlantic, Ileana in Pacific

2012 Hurricane & Cyclone Season

2012 Hurricane Season Links
Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) 

Kirk & Leslie in Altlantic, Ileana in Pacific

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 31 August, 2012 : - - Kirk remains a hurricane, while Tropical Storm Leslie will require an even closer watch in the coming days. Kirk became organized enough to be named a tropical storm in the central Atlantic on late Tuesday night. Since Kirk has been named, the storm has continued to strengthen while tracking over warm water with favorable environmental conditions.

It is possible that Kirk could strengthen into a major hurricane later today. Despite strengthening, Kirk will track to west-northwest through the remainder of the week before recurving to the northeast by the weekend as a frontal system approaches from the west. This path should keep Kirk away from any land over the next several days with Kirk expected to curve more to the northeast before reaching Bermuda.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed farther south in the central Atlantic on Thursday. The system has become organized rather quickly with favorable conditions in place. Continued strengthening is likely over the next several days as Leslie tracks over increasingly warm waters and through an environment with low shear and minimal dry air. Meteorologists anticipate Leslie to become a hurricane by the weekend.

Steering flow to the west-northwest could bring this next system north of the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico by Labor Day weekend. Bermuda and interests along the East Coast of the U.S. should monitor Leslie closely.

                                                  4 Storms © NOAA | Click image to zoom

Four storms in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific were in various stages of development in the above image as follows; Tropical Storm Isaac slowly weakening over central Louisiana, but still producing heavy rain, severe weather and high water levels along the northern Gulf coast. Hurricane Ileana in the eastern Pacific and growing a little stronger, but headed for cooler waters. Hurricane Kirk became the fifth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season and is expected to stay well offshore. Tropical Depression 12 formed far east of the Lesser Antilles and is forecast to reach hurricane strengthwithin 48 hours. This image was taken by GOES East at 1445Z on August 30, 2012.

EASTERN PACIFIC

Ileana is not far from Mexico but the hurricane is headed out to sea and, like many eastern Pacific hurricanes, it will be moving over colder water, encountering more stable air, and weakening into a remnant low pressure system.

The "monsoon trough" of low pressure offshore of Central America is active with a lot of thunderstorms, some of which are trying to consolidate and could become the next eastern Pacific tropical cyclone during the next few days.

WESTERN PACIFIC

Tembin made landfall in South Korea as it was rapidly weakening, and now, for the first time in a while, there are no tropical cyclones in the western Pacific.

Hurricanes, Cyclones Typhoons: 

2012 Hurricane Season Links
Tropical Analysis and Forecasting (NOAA)

NHC Forecasts & Warnings(NOAA)
NHC Latest Satellite Imagary (NOAA)

Central Pacific Hurricane Center (NOAA) 
Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

Source: NOAA / JTWC

Compiled by: SV Editors

Tags: Cyclones, Hurricanes, Typhoons,  

Environment - Surfersvillage