It’s not bad enough that Marco is the earliest 13^th named storm in the Atlantic Basic since records have been kept, but now we have a chance for one of the rarer weather events in hurricane tracking, as reported by CNN:

Forecasters say it’s hard to anticipate what the impact will be of having two systems in the Gulf of Mexico, but an unusual weather phenomenon known as the “Fujiwhara effect” could take place if the two systems are within roughly 900 miles of each other.

The Fujiwhara effect happens when two tropical systems come close together to influence each other’s movements and engage in dance around their common center, according to the National Weather Service.

Nothing is certain, but one of the outcomes could be that the two systems will then form a single massive storm, spin together as one, and then continue on their own paths, or “if one hurricane is a lot stronger than the other, the smaller one will orbit it and eventually come crashing into its vortex to be absorbed,” the NWS said.

Laura is trailing Marco, but they are angling towards each other. The Gulf of Mexico is currently warmer than bath water and we have been having thunderstorms almost every day. There is a lot of hot moist air to power tropical storms.

Position: 18.7N 84.9W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northwest [330°] near 13 mph [20 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 90 miles [150 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1003 mb ↓.

Currently about 180 miles [ 290 km] Southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Punta Herrero to Dzilam, Mexico.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Punta Herrero to Cancun, Mexico.

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: 17.0N 63.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb ↑.

Currently about 195 miles [ 315 km] East-Southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Saba and St. Eustatius; St. Maarten; St. Martin and St. Barthelemy; Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra; U.S. Virgin Islands; British Virgin Islands; the northern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border with Haiti; The northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas to the border with the Dominican Republic; the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the central Bahamas.

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.]