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Ahead of what has the potential to be a historic hurricane season, another tropical hotspot is already forming. This could bring the number of pre-season tropical storms to three, signaling that this year could see a major uptick in the number of hurricanes. The newest storm hotspot is forming over the Gulf of Mexico and could be fueled by an unusual dip in the jet stream.
When the jet stream and the warm waters over the Atlantic of the Gulf interact, the result can be powerful tropical storms. This is due to the jet stream bringing in what are known as “frontal boundaries” when it interacts with warm air. These boundaries can form storms similar to squall lines, which, in turn, can kick up into full-blown tropical cyclones.
In the Caribbean, the official start of hurricane season is June 1. However, this year, two named tropical storms have already formed. In mid-May, Tropical Storm Arthur became the first named storm of the season. After being officially named on May 16, the storm moved through the waters South and East of Florida.
Thankfully, the storm narrowly avoided making landfall in North Carolina. It did, however, cause massive increases in wind gusts throughout the coastal region of the state. Before it could make any landfall, however, Arthur turn out to see and ran out of steam. Arthur was the earliest named tropical storm since 2017’s Tropical Storm Arlene, which formed in April.
The second named storm of the season, Bertha, was named on May 27. The storm developed in a region Southeast of Florida, similar to where Arthur formed. After making a pass near Florida and bringing soaking rains and driving winds to the southern portion of the state, Bertha turned back out to sea.
Unfortunately for South Carolina, the storm then turned again and made landfall in the Palmetto State. It soaked much of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina and Virginia throughout the week.
Make sure to stock up on dry food supplies, bottled water and the best deodorant if you live near the Southeastern coast. Meteorologists expect this hurricane season to be a busy one. Interaction between the warm waters of the Atlantic and the driving jet stream plunge are sure to continue spawning massive storm systems. In short, there’s plenty more where Arthur and Bertha came from.
