Jeff Masters - Karl hits the Yucatan; two simultaneous Cat 4s in the Atlantic for 2nd time in histor

[malaise]

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/article.html
<snip>
The Atlantic hurricane season of 2010 kicked into high gear this morning, with the landfall of Tropical Storm Karl in Mexico, and the simultaneous presence of two Category 4 hurricanes in the Atlantic, Igor and Julia. Tropical Storm Karl's formation yesterday marked the fifth earliest date that an eleventh named storm of the season has formed. The only years more active this early in the season were 2005, 1995, 1936 and 1933. This morning's unexpected intensification of Hurricane Julia into a Category 4 storm with 135 mph winds has set a new record--Julia is now the strongest hurricane on record so far east. When one considers that earlier this year, Hurricane Earl became the fourth strongest hurricane so far north, it appears that this year's record SSTs have significantly expanded the area over which major hurricanes can exist over the Atlantic. This morning is just the second time in recorded history that two simultaneous Category 4 or stronger storms have occurred in the Atlantic. The only other occurrence was on 06 UTC September 16, 1926, when the Great Miami Hurricane and Hurricane Four were both Category 4 storms for a six-hour period. The were also two years, 1999 and 1958, when we missed having two simultaneous Category 4 hurricanes by six hours. Julia's ascension to Category 4 status makes it the 4th Category 4 storm of the year. Only two other seasons have had as many as five Category 4 or stronger storms (2005 and 1999), so 2010 ranks in 3rd place in this statistic. This year is also the earliest a fourth Category 4 or stronger storm has formed (though the fourth Category 4 of 1999, Hurricane Gert, formed just 3 hours later on today's date in 1999.) We've also had four Cat 4+ storms in just twenty days, which beats the previous record for shortest time span for four Cat 4+ storms to appear. The previous record was 1999, 24 days (thanks to Phil Klozbach of CSU for this stat.)

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Remember ReTHUGS say climate change is a myth.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. It's all just fluky weather.

There was probably some record cold weather somewhere yesterday.

It's all cyclical. Just wait til the ice ages come back.

It's sunspots.

Trees put out more CO2 than people do.

You're trying to cripple the economy with your alarmist nonsense.

See? Things were just as bad in the 1930's.

(What am I missing?)

[NightWatcher]

2. I'm loving the upper level highs that are keeping us safe this month in Florida

else we'd be screwed by two big storms running a train on us

[Lochloosa]

5. +10000000000000000

[NightWatcher]

6. hey man, long time no see

are you still dealing with the mouthbreathers at CES?

[Lochloosa]

7. They try, but just can't compete with the big boys.

[BolivarianHero]

3. Hurricane Karl?

Kind of ironic that it's devastating Mexico rather than the U.S.

[Turbineguy]

4. The US was devastated

by Karl in the last decade. It's a new decade!

[Scurrilous]

8. K & R

:thumbsup: