Posts from — August 2011

Position: 14.1N 33.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb.

Currently about 585 miles [940 km] West of the Cape Verde Islands.

The present forecast doesn’t have it threatening any land areas, but you can’t be certain.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 28.3N 77.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North [350°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 115 mph [185 kph].
Wind Gusts: 150 mph [240 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 290 miles [465 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 942 mb ↓.

Currently about 490 miles [ 785 km] South-Southwest of Cape Hatteras, NC.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Grand Bahama, the Abaco Islands, and coastal North Carolina from Little River Inlet north to the Virginia border.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the coast from the Virginia border north to Sand Hook, New Jersey.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the coast from Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Little River Inlet, North Carolina

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point northward and the tidal Potomac.

Irene is a huge storm, almost 600 miles across. If it just moves up the coast with the eye 100 miles off shore it will cause massive destruction. It is forecast to spin up to category 4 sometime today, but it doesn’t need any more strength. It is over warm water and moving fast enough that upwelling of cooler water from the depths is not a problem.

They are now showing a more easterly track that earlier. If you live on the East Coast north of Georgia, you should be watching this storm.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

For two weeks in June I covered Arizona’s worst wildfire, the Wallow Fire. Now the BBC reports on the final chapter Wallow Fire: Cousins charged over Arizona wildfire

Two cousins have been charged with negligently setting the largest wildfire in Arizona history.

The Wallow Fire, which consumed 804 sq miles (2,080sq km), started from a campfire lit by Caleb Malboeuf, 26, and David Malboeuf, 24, both of Arizona, according to charging documents.

The two experienced campers left the fire unattended and went for a hike in the Apache National Forest on 29 May.

The fire destroyed 32 houses and cost more than $79m (£48.2m) to fight.

It was not fully contained until 8 July.

The penalty for the charges is only 6 months in jail and/or a $5000 fine. These guys had their dogs with them and left the dogs tied up when they fled. One of the dogs died, but they were identified by the rabies tags on the dogs’ collars.

Note that they are not undocumented foreigners, but Arizona’s “own, fine citizens”.

Position: 23.6N 75.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 120 mph [195 kph].
Wind Gusts: 150 mph [240 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 255 miles [410 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 952 mb ↓.

Currently about 150 miles [245 km] East-Southeast of Nassau and 790 miles [1270 km] South of Cape Hatteras, NC.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Bahamas.

Irene is turning more to the North, and is really pounding the Bahamas as it gets larger. The storm surge will wash over some of the low-lying islands.

Update: Things might ease up on the Bahamas a bit as the latest imagery shows that an eye-wall replacement cycle [EWRC] may have started. The intensity should drop some while this is occurring, but the storm will probably get even bigger and nastier when it’s over.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 21.3N 72.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 90 mph [150 kph].
Wind Gusts: 120 mph [195 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 40 miles [ 65 km].
Minimum central pressure: 969 mb.

Currently about 410 miles [655 km] Southeast of Nassau and 980 miles [1575 km] South-Southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the northern coasts of Haiti.

The storm is currently over very warm water, which accounts for the falling pressure, but has encountered some moderate wind shear. The reduction in wind speed is forecast to be only temporary, and it will pick up again tomorrow.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 19.9N 69.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph [155 kph].
Wind Gusts: 115 mph [185 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 185 miles [295 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 980 mb ↓.

Currently about 165 miles [265 km] Southeast of Grand Turk Island and 100 miles [155 km] East of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, the southeastern and central Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northern coast of Haiti and the northwestern Bahamas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Haiti and the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Santo Domingo to the east.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

It isn’t possible to verify most of what is coming out, but the fact that government security people have deserted the hotel where the foreign journalists are staying is a pretty good indicator that the official government spokesman has taken on the role of ‘Baghdad Bob’ in the current situation.

It would appear that Colonel ‘However You Spell His Name’ is toast, extra crispy.

The rebels report arresting his two sons, who seem to have forgotten that they would fight to the death, and the major activity in Tripoli seems to be people sewing the new flags to prove they didn’t support government, rather than massing in the streets to stop the rebel advance.

It looks more and more like it is time for a rousing chorus of ‘Ding dong the whacko’s gone…’

Position: 17.9N 65.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [110 kph].
Wind Gusts: 85 mph [140 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 150 miles [240 km].
Minimum central pressure: 993 mb ↓.

Currently about 50 miles [ 80 km] Southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico and 50 miles [80 km] West-Northwest of St. Croix.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebrathe and the coast of the Dominican Republic.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for U.S. Virgin Islands and the central Bahamas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Haiti, and the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 15.3N 59.9W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 22 mph [35 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [ 85 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 120 miles [195 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 95 miles [150 km] East of Dominica.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vieques, Culebra, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maartin, Dominica, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Anguilla, Montserrat, and British Virgin Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haitian border east to Cabo Engano.

This was Invest 97 that people have been watching for a while. It got close enough for a Hurricane Hunter mission, and the aircraft confirmed that it was already a tropical storm. The models are predicting that it will be the first hurricane of the season. South Florida needs to watch Irene closely.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 17.4N 90.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 85 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1003 mb ↑.

Currently inland about 40 miles [ 65 km] North-Northwest of Tikal, Guatemala.

The storm is well inland in Northern Guatemala and losing strength.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Susie featured this video recently and it reminded me of my reaction to the pictures of those arrested in the aftermath of the rioting in Britain. I haven’t seen anything that white since the last time I opened a new package of undershirts. Some of those people look like they belonged under a sheet at the medical examiner’s office.

So, British Prime Minister Cameron said the riots had nothing to do with poverty, but the Guardian, who didn’t buy the whitewashing of the hacking scandal, decided to check: England rioters: young, poor and unemployed

…
A Liverpool University urban planning lecturer, Alex Singleton, analysed the Guardian’s preliminary data by overlaying the addresses of defendants with the poverty indicators mapped by England’s Indices of Multiple Deprivation, which breaks the country into small geographical areas.

He found that the majority of people who have appeared in court live in poor neighbourhoods, with 41% of suspects living in one of the top 10% of most deprived places in the country. The data also shows that 66% of neighbourhoods where the accused live got poorer between 2007 and 2010.

Singleton said: “Rioting is deplorable. However, if events such as this are to be mitigated in the future, the prevailing conditions and constraints affecting people living in areas must form part of the discussion. A ‘broken society’ happens somewhere, and geography matters.”
…

When I read the media coverage I was expecting to see people of color, not pasty white Anglo-Saxons doing the perp walk. The victims were generally people of color, which would indicate that they were in multi-ethic neighborhoods, but the people taken to court don’t seem to be – they are just poor.

There must have been some non-white rioters, but perhaps the police can’t locate them. To some people all non-whites look the same.

Position: 16.2N 85.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Wind Gusts: 70 mph [110 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 40 miles [ 65 km].
Minimum central pressure: 994 mb ↓.

Currently about 220 miles [350 km] East-Southeast of Belize City.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Bay Islands of Honduras, the coast of Belize, the coast of the Yucatan from the Belize border north to Punta Gruesa and the coast of Honduras west of Punta Patuca.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the coast of Guatemala.

It looks like Harvey will roll over the Bay Island late tonight or early tomorrow, and may reach hurricane strength before hitting Belize.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Boring…

Don’t you tire of that?

[Editor: Tonto isn’t impressed by much. She avoids the rush at meal time because one of her kids might want to renew their acquaintance. She has a hard and fast rule: after weaning, you’re on your own.]

Friday Ark

Position: 15.4N 82.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [270°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 80 miles [125 km] East-Northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua – Honduras border.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the coast of Guatemala.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]