New tropical depression forms in Atlantic
The National Hurricane Center has upgraded that stormy region in the tropical Atlantic to tropical depression status, with a 90 percent chance that it will become the season's third named Atlantic storm, perhaps late today. If so, it will become Tropical Storm Colin. For now, it's just Tropical Depression #4, or TD 4.
Storm trackers said TD4 is now 1,300 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving to the west northwest at 17 mph. Top sustained winds are just below tropical storm force, at 35 mph. Further strengthening is expected, but it does not appear headed for hurricane status anytime soon.
Here is the latest advisory. Here is the forecast storm track. And here is the view from orbit.
The storm is in pretty warm waters, just what's needed to keep it fueled. Here's a map of sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic.
Comments
We can only hope and pray that new tropical system makes landfall in NC and moves inland into Virgina and Maryland and give us some desperately needed rain, however, the steering currents indicate it will be deflected out to sea off the NC coast long before any US landfall.
Is there any change in the long range forecasts of when this drought will end in Maryland? I cannot recall in my memory going this long without measurable rainfall.
FR: There is no strong trend either way on rainfall for the next three months, although it continues to look unusually warm. And the lack of rain depends on where you are. Central Maryland is no longer considered "dry," at least from an agricultural standpoint. And BWI had above-average precipitation in July. But Western and Southern Maryland, and the lower shore still look very dry. Worcester and Somerset counties are in "severe" drought.
Posted by: John Moser | August 2, 2010 4:45 PM