Ceaseless Wind

Hurricanes really start to fire up this time of year.  The combination of warm ocean water with still summer-like weaker winds over the tropics makes this the best time for storms to form.

Cape Verde storms are very popular during this period and are named for the island cluster over the eastern Atlantic which sees easterly waves travel close by.

Easterly waves form over Africa and move toward the west over the Atlantic. These waves exist in the lower troposphere in the lowest 3 miles. They start to appear in April or May and last until October or November. They have a period of about 3 or 4 days and move west between 10 and 20 knots.

Shown below are typical storm frequency and paths for August, September and October.

The next 14 days seem fairly active with the long-range computer models showing various lows or even tropical storms developing.