May 12, 2024

News Collective

Complete New Zealand News World

How many tornadoes were there?  – Telemundo Miami (51)

How many tornadoes were there? – Telemundo Miami (51)

The 2023 hurricane season, which began June 1, has ended, marking six months of meteorological uncertainty in areas affected by hurricanes and tornadoes year after year.

In 2023, the season started early with the unusual formation of an unnamed subtropical storm in January, marking an exceptional early start.

The season also surprised with “unexpected activity” with more than double the number of systems that would be expected in the Atlantic in a year characterized by the presence of El Niño, said Hugh Willoughby, a professor in the International University’s Department of Earth and Environment. University of Florida (FIU).

Throughout the season, 21 tropical cyclones developed in the Atlantic Ocean, including 20 tropical storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 of them of extreme intensity. It is the fourth season with the most named storms in a year since 1950. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, for its abbreviation in English).

Among the most notable hurricanes was Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall in northern Florida as a Category 3 and left fields flooded with 7- to 12-foot (2-3.6 m) storm surges, crop failures, and massive production losses.

Moody’s Analytics estimated in a preliminary report that the damage and production losses resulting from the hurricane in this area of ​​Florida, known as the “Big Bend,” range between $12,000 and $20,000.

In addition, the United States was hit by two tropical storms: Harold and Ophelia in Texas and in North and South Carolina, respectively.

One of the most notable times was late August, when six tropical cyclones formed, including Emily, Franklin, Gert, and Harold. In a 39-hour period, four of these storms were named, marking a record high in hurricane season history.

See also  Nearly 130 Haitians returned from the US in the midst of the immigration crisis

Additionally, Franklin impacted the Dominican Republic before becoming a major hurricane.

Also particularly striking is the path that many tropical storms and hurricanes have followed this season, northward, “out to sea,” often avoiding, fortunately, populated areas, said Maria Torres, director of the National Hurricane Center’s specialized division. ). , in English).

The NHC expert explains that this fact is due to the fact that “the high-pressure ridge that normally directs” the systems toward the west was not as strong in 2023, allowing most of the storms or hurricanes that formed to “spin north and curve” back into the central or western Atlantic.

The list of 2023 tropical cyclone names included Arlene, Brett, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harold, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Philip, Rena, Sean, and Tammy, with no names Vince and Whitney being used.

These names were chosen from the same list used in the 2017 season, with the exception of Harold, Idalia, Margot and Nigel, who replaced Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate respectively.

Can hurricanes form outside the season?

As for the possibility of phenomena of this type occurring outside seasonal dates, the simple answer is yes. It is important to remember that although most tropical cyclones form during the official period of the season, they can form outside of these dates.

The formation of an unnamed subtropical storm in January 2023 is an example that these events can occur at any time of the year.

According to the report, the strongest storms and most destructive hurricanes will form within just hours. These US states will receive the worst impact.

See also  More than 11,600 Cubans have applied for asylum in Mexico so far this year

How did it affect the child?

In theory, activity in the Atlantic Basin would have been affected this year by the appearance of the El Niño weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which usually calms the conditions that lead to the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.

But both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which predicted a “near-normal” hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin last May, and Colorado State University (CSU), were forced to radically correct their forecasts midway through the season.

Meanwhile, the “extreme anomalous heat” recorded in the Atlantic Ocean counteracted part of the typical El Niño-induced wind shear that normally prevents storm formation in the Atlantic Basin.

“The record sea surface temperature in 2023 (with August temperatures of 25.19 degrees Celsius) allowed many storms to form, although many of them did not intensify much or were short-lived,” said Torres of the National Hurricane Center.

What happens after the season ends?

At the end of hurricane season, a critical phase of analysis and reconstruction begins.

Meteorologists carefully study patterns and data collected during the season, which is essential to improve forecasts and future preparedness strategies.

For their part, communities affected by hurricanes focus on repair and reconstruction tasks, in the face of the challenges that these phenomena leave in their wake, while various parties such as The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) concludes this period From the aid application.

Andrea Romero and Tyree Ynoa explain in detail everything you need to know about hurricanes.