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Caribbean braced for more storms
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After a relatively slow start, the Atlantic Caribbean season has become busy.
Four of the seven named storms have formed in the past two weeks. Forecasters had predicted a very active season, with at least 10 hurricanes expected. The Massachusetts-based Weather Service International said pockets of dry air and shearing winds hindered the formation of pre-August storms. But now the season - which runs from 1 June to 30 November - is into its traditionally busiest phase and the atmosphere is becoming more favourable for tropical development. One of the factors is the continuation of a strong La Nina weather pattern, which effectively allows a storm to gather strength by diminishing wind shear. "As this La Nina continues to build, we should see above-normal numbers of (September) and (October) storms," Matt Rogers, president and meteorologist with Commodity Weather Group in Bethesda, Maryland, told Reuters. Past data In last forecast issued on 4 August, the Colorado State University team said: "We anticipate a well above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall." The team has also begun issuing a specific hurricane forecast for activity in the Caribbean Basin, utilizing 60 years of past data.
It put the chance of a major hurricane tracking into the Caribbean at 65%. When Hurricane Earl passed through the northern-Eastern Caribbean and Puerto Rico 29-31 August, it was a category two, not considered a major storm. But its pounding winds and rain caused insured damage of between $50 million and $150 million in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, St Maarten and St Martin, according to catastrophe-modeling firm AIR Worldwide. Power outages AIR Senior Engineer Shiraj Khan said the damage was minor, with flooding being the hurricane's largest impact in the northern Leeward Islands. About half of the insured loss estimate is attributed to damages in St. Maarten, where strong winds tore roofs from buildings, downed trees and power lines and caused power outages. The storm also triggered a payout to Anguilla from the Caribbean Castatrophe Risk Insurance Facility. Up to 3 September, there have been seven named storms this season - Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona and Gaston. |
SEE ALSO
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