Tuesday Storms

Strong sunshine and increased moisture and instability triggered some late afternoon showers and storms across Southern Delaware and the lower MD shore counties. No storms were severe but they were slow moves producing heavy downpours.

Our weather watcher Hunter Outten from Frankford, DE captured a low sitting rainbow at his house after a storm passed.

More showers are storms are possible Wednesday and Thursday as some disturbances move by and a cold front approaches and slides through on Thursday.

Sunday's Storm Reports

Strong to severe storms ripped through Delamrva late afternoon yesterday causing some damage. here are the official reports from the National Weather Service.

9 WNW CRISFIELD SOMERSET MD: TREES DOWN ON SMITH ISLAND. (AKQ)

65 MPH WIND GUST CRISFIELD SOMERSET MD (AKQ)

KINGSTON SOMERSET MD: MULTIPLE TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN COUNTYWIDE.(AKQ)

Weak high pressure will dominate our weather for Tuesday but then another cold front tracks east on Wednesday and Thursday. This will bring another chance for scattered showers and storms Wednesday night and Thursday.

I would also like to say thanks to everyone who stopped by and watched our newscasts at the Delaware State Fair. I had the pleasure of meeting many people over the days. Thanks for all the positive feedback and I hoped you had a fun time.

A New Face

Hello everyone, this is Marc Adamo writing my first blog post! I figured this would be a good opportunity to do a short introduction in case anyone was wondering who the new face was in the morning.

My bio is not online just yet, so I will do a brief one here. I am originally from New Jersey and went to school at Penn State. After graduation, I worked at WKAG in Kentucky. I am excited to be back on the coast, though! When I am not working, you might see me at the beach. Maybe you'll see me trying to learn how to surf (emphasis on trying)!

I am looking forward to working on the Delmarva and hopefully meeting many of you. I was lucky enough to talk to some people during the Delaware State Fair, and so far everyone I have met has been really nice. Feel free to write us any comments and questions, and have a great week!

Tropical Storm Cristobal, Dolly and another wave

Tropical Storm Cristobal is moving northeastward away from the Outer Banks. Right now this storm is about 110 miles northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Cristobal has maximum sustained wind of about 50 mph, a minimum central pressure of 1004 mb and is moving northeast near 13 mph. This storm will bring increased rip currents to our beaches on Delmarva.

Tropical Storm Dolly is moving off the Northern Yucatan Peninsula. Dolly is moving northwest at about 15 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 1008 mb. This storm is expected to strengthen and make a second Mexican landfall.



We will also be monitoring a new tropical wave, still on the coast of Africa. Still to soon to say much about this wave, but it does have potential for further development once it moves completely off land and over water.

Tropics

A lot is going on in the tropics. Bertha has been back to hurricane status for about the past day with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. Right now Bertha is about 490 miles east-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Bertha is suppose to slowly weaken over the next couple of days.

Close to home, we are now monitoring Tropical Storm Cristobal, the third named system on the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Cristobal has strengthened and has maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. Right now Cristobal is located about about 125 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina and about 205 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This storm is moving northeast near 7 mph and expected to slowly strengthen over the next couple of days.

In the Western Caribbean Sea, Air Force Reconnaissance are checking out a tropical wave that is expected to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days. This would become Tropical Depression FOUR... possibly Tropical Storm Dolly if it reaches tropical storm status.

Another tropical wave with high potential to become a tropical depression is currently located over the extreme Eastern Pacific. To the west of that wave, Hurricane Fausto is also headed well away from the coast of Mexico.

Poor Air Quality

The heat has been building recently, but so has the ozone. That's why air quality is poor across much of the Mid Atlantic and Northeast. Ozone is good in the ozone layer which is high in the atmosphere. But, ground-level ozone is bad and it's the main ingredient in smog.

Ozone is a colorless gas formed by the reaction of sunlight with vehicle emissions, gasoline fumes, solvent vapors, and power plant and industrial emissions. Ozone formation is most likely in hot, dry weather when the air is fairly still. Ozone and particle pollution have been linked to short-term health concerns, particularly among children, people with asthma and heart or lung disease, and older adults.



There is a CODE RED AIR QUALITY in effect today for the following locations:
DC
Baltimore
Philadelphia
Northern Virginia

There is a CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY in effect today for the following locations:
MD Eastern Shore
Delaware
Atlantic City, NJ
Harrisburg, PA
Allentown, PA
Richmond, Hampton Roads area

So, what can you do?
* Keep an eye on the pollutant levels for your area.
* When levels are high, stay inside if you can. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
* Help keep pollutant levels low by avoiding unnecessary fuel consumption. Use carpools and fuel-efficient vehicles.
* Avoid the use of any other gasoline engines, such as mowers and other lawn equipment, or boat motors. (if you must use these, do so in the morning or evening)
* Save power by turning off lights and appliances when they are not needed.
* Avoid burning yard debris or brush.

Here are some links for more information:
http://www.mde.state.md.us/Air/index.asp
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.actiondays
http://www.air-watch.net/

Tropical Activity

The tropics are becoming a bit more active. The National Hurricane Center is watching two potential locations for possible development.



From the NHC,
Area #1. THE BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA HAS
BECOME A LITTLE LESS ORGANIZED AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FORMATION HAS LESSENED TODAY. HOWEVER...THIS SYSTEM
WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF DEVELOPMENT AS IT MOVES
WESTWARD AT 20 TO 25 MPH.

Area #2. SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE IN
THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD WESTWARD OVER
PORTIONS OF HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA LATER TODAY AND EARLY FRIDAY.
THIS ACTIVITY COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND
MUDSLIDES. THIS SYSTEM HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN ORGANIZATION SINCE
YESTERDAY...BUT IT HAS A CHANCE TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
BEFORE IT REACHES THE COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA TONIGHT.

Delaware Fair Begins

The Delaware State Fair in Harrington, DE begins Thursday and continues through next Saturday. I will be up at the fair each night for the 6 PM newscasts doing the weather live each night. The forecast looks to be hot but dry for the first several days at the fair. Highs will be in the 90s but with low humidity on Thursday. The humidity will begin to build on Friday through the weekend. There will be a small chance of isolated shower and storms on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Stop by and hi!!

Bertha's Impact and Records

Tropical Storm Bertha is still holding strong with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. She is 360 miles northeast of Bermuda. According to Yahoo! News, Bertha left about 4,000 people without powers on Bermuda... north and south on the East Coast of the United States, we saw dangerous rip currents. According to www.allheadlinenews.com, at least one death due to drowning on the New Jersey shore was associated to Bertha.

Now Bertha has also broken a few records. Here are some of those records:

The easternmost forming tropical storm.
The easternmost forming hurricane.
The easternmost forming pre-August major hurricane.
The longest-lived tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin.

We still are monitoring a tropical wave on the Atlantic Ocean... this wave has medium potential for future development.

Getting Hotter but Not Very Humid

High pressure at the surface continues to build in across the mid-Atlantic providing sun and warm temperatures. Flow around high pressure is clockwise so as long as we are on the front side of the high, we will experience Northerly winds. It will still be hot but these winds keeps us from getting extremely hot. Winds on Wednesday will be from the Northeast flowing off the ocean.

A ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere will develop, and high pressure at the surface will shift offshore Friday into the weekend. This will allow warmer air to build in the atmosphere and the surface high will prove Southerly winds since we will be on the backside of it. These Southerly winds will transport warmer air from the deep South along with increased humidity. Expect highs in the upper 80s and fairly comfortable for Wednesday and Thursday, and then 90s Friday into the weekend with more humid conditions.

Rip Currents Continue

Bertha continues to slowly meander out in the Atlantic sending ocean swells our way. This is great news for local surfers but bad news for swimmers heading to the beaches. Longer period swells continue to break on the beaches giving surfers ridable waves during what is usually the flattest time on the year. These longer period swells also bring stronger rip currents as well. This is very dangerous for swimmers. If you decide to go into the ocean make sure you are right near a lifeguard and obey any rules they issue. They know you are in trouble usually before you do.

Even though the near-shore waves aren't huge, they are carrying a lot of force and energy. The long period or long time period between each wave indicated swells coming from a far away storm. Think of you dropping a rock into a pond. When you drop it in there is a large splashing and confused area water moving around right at the center, but then faster, spaced out, more organized rings of water eventually fan out and get smaller the farther away they get form the center. So think of the center of the rock plunge as Bertha with large swells going in every direction near the center of the storm. Think of the outer rings as the longer period swells propagating from the center of the storm. Those outer rings are what is impacting the coast now.

The swells are spaced out organized long-period swells that carry a lot of energy since it is coming from a large storm. That wave energy builds up as it reaches the sand bars and breaks as larger size waves. During a long period ground swell, you could look out into the ocean and it looks flat as a lake, but all of a sudden a set of higher waves form as they near the sand bars and are forced to break. All that extra force of water rushes onto the beach and then rushes back real fast and causes strong rips to form. Be very careful swimming in the ocean this week. There is a great picture of what a rip current looks like a few posts below. Stay safe!!!

Bertha Back to Tropical Storm... and Another Wave?

Hurricane Bertha is now back to Tropical Storm status, about 175 miles southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of about 65 mph. She is moving northwest about at 2 mph. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bermuda... for us, we are still looking at the High Risk of Rip Currents at the beach.

We are also looking at another Tropical Wave that has potential to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days.

Here is the discussion from the National Hurricane Center on that wave:
"A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE AND SURFACE LOW...IS LOCATED OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN ABOUT 1550 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS. THIS SYSTEM HAS BECOME A LITTLE BETTER ORGANIZED DURING THE DAY...AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THE WAVE MOVES GENERALLY WESTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH. "

What Bertha means to Delmarva...

An update to previous blog... today the rip current risk remained moderate for Delaware Beaches, however for Maryland and Virginia Beaches the risk was high and it will remain that way for the remainder of the weekend. From the National Weather Service, a high risk for rip current means:

"weather and ocean conditions are favorable for the formation of numerous Rip Currents. Several of the Rip Currents have the potential to be strong, with a 3 to 5 mph seaward pull."

Please read Kira's blog below for more information on rip currents!
Now your Hurricane Bertha update:

First, from the National Hurricane Center:

"AN AIR FORCE PLANE HAS COMPLETED TWO PASSES THROUGH THE EYE OF BERTHA AND THE MAXIMUM FLIGHT LEVEL WINDS WERE 79 AND 74 KT. THE SFMR ON BOARD OF THE PLANE DID NOT REPORT ANY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...IN FACT...THE STRONGEST WINDS WERE 58 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT. THE BEST ESTIMATE OF THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS 65 KNOTS...MAKING BERTHA BARELY A HURRICANE."

If you are curious what SFMR stands for, here you go: "Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer"

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bermuda. The storm is about 210 mile southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. The storm is tracking north at about one mph.

Bertha's Secret Threat

As of 5 am, Hurricane Bertha, a category one hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 85 mph, was still 350 miles SSE of Bermuda. The storm is moving toward the NW at 7 mph, but a turn to the N-NE and a slower forward motion are expected during the next couple days. Bertha will track close to Bermuda today and Saturday, but looks to remain to the east of the island. But just because the storm will remain clear of the East Coast, doesn't mean we won't feel some effects from the storm.

Like Justin wrote below, long period swells (13-15 seconds) are already affecting the Mid Atlantic coast. The swells will continue over the next few days and conditions may become a little rough in and around inlets. There is also a moderate risk for rip currents today and through the weekend and even into the early part of next week. A moderate risk for rip currents mean that weather and ocean conditions are favorable for a greater than normal potential for rip current formation. Usually several rip currents will form and a few may be strong.


Rip current shot from above (Courtesy NOAA)

If you're at the beach and you see turbulent water traveling from the beach back out to sea, chances are it's a rip current forming! Be careful if you're swimming nearby. Here are some tips:

* Remember, always swim at beaches guarded by lifeguards.
* Remain calm.
* Signal to someone on the beach that you need help.
* If you're a strong swimmer, try to swim parallel to the beach until you're out of the current and then swim toward the shore.
* No matter how strong of a swimmer you are, never try to swim back to the shore directly against the rip current!!
* For less confident swimmers, wade sideways parallel to the beach until you are out of the current and then swim back to shore.

For more information on rip currents, head to http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/marine/rip.php

July 10 Highlights

July 10th is a busy day in weather history. From extreme heat to powerful storms, Mother Nature was provided lots of activity on this day in history. Here are a few examples from the weather notebook.

The heat was on...
1913 - The highest official temperature (134 F) ever recorded in the United States is observed at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California. It's also considered to be the warmest temperature ever in the Western Hemisphere.

1936 - Many of the Mid Atlantic states set records for hottest temperatures ever:
Maryland hit 109F at Cumberland and Frederick
New Jersey reached 110F at Runyon
West Virginia's hottest temperature reached 112F in Martinsburg
Pennsylvania recorded 111F in Phoenixville

Severe weather too...
1926 - Lightning explodes an ammunition magazine at the the Naval Ammunition Depot at Lake Denmark, New Jersey. The explosion destroyed every building within a 1/2 mile radius and debris fell as far as 25 miles away. 16 people died and damage totaled $70 million in what may have been the costliest lightning bolt in United States history.

1989 - Major tornado outbreak in the northeast as 15 twisters touched down in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut. An F3 tornado caused $20 million in damage and 20 injuries through parts of New York. An F4 tornado in Connecticut caused $100 million in damage. Another twister was reported near New York City. The thunderstorm complex that produced the tornadoes produced over 12,500 lightning strikes.

Courtesy http://www.theweathercompany.com/cgi-bin/wxnotebook.pl

Tropical Swell Potential

The potential for the first tropical swell this year is exciting local surfers and bodyboarders across Delmarva. In the local surf world, the buzz is are we going to see waves from Bertha? Even though the storm is not very big, has been fluctuating in intensity, and very far away, we should still see some waves. Even if they are not very big, any fun sized swell is welcomed during the summertime.

The first sign of some swell energy should arrive Thurs. PM in the form of higher period groundswell. The swell period is expected to be 13-14 seconds, which is the time between each wave. The higher the wave period, indicates swell from a far away storm. 14 seconds is very high for this area, typically we see around 6 seconds. Heading into the weekend, larger set waves should develop and right now some wave models show some bigger sets chest high to head high possibly. The swell right now looks to peak Saturday and Sunday but may last longer if Bertha slows down as forecast. A chest to head swell in the summer would make many if not all local surfer happy.

Of course there are other factors that go into play for waves that big, such as tides, sandbars, swell direction, and local wind. These can either help or hurt the waves height potential. Meteorology plays a big role in wave forecasting but experience is something that increases someone's knowledge greatly. There are so many local surfers who have surfed and lived here for many years and have seen the ground truth from many weather/storm setups which produce waves. They have a good idea of what to expect and where to surf during certain storm setups. So of course you have some people saying it is going to be decent size and others that say it won't be as big as we think. Either way, there will be something to ride over the next few days and that is better than a typical summer flat spell.

Today's Storms

Well I guess I have to start off with Bertha to keep the streak of Bertha posts going. Bertha has weakened into a Category 1 hurricane today as it moved into an environment with some increased wind shear and cooler water. Wind Shear helps rip apart tropical systems so they lose there structure and strength. It will be interesting to see if the storm can intensify again. The track looks to remain to the East of Bermuda as of now.

Back home, all was quiet today before a complex of showers and storms developed over Southeast VA and headed Northeast through Delmarva. There were some severe thunderstorm warnings on Delmarva. Two severe storms came across Sussex county DE with wind gusts over 60 mph. There was no storm reports issued but our weather watcher Hunter Outten from Frankford, DE had small hail and strong wind gusts. Another round of storms is possible later Wednesday as a cold front approaches.

Fluctuating Bertha

Not only did Bertha become the first Hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season yesterday, but Bertha also became the first major hurricane of the season when she strengthened to a Category Three storm yesterday evening. Early this morning Bertha was still holding strong with winds near 120 mph, however this afternoon the much anticipated weakening occurred... Bertha is now at Category Two storm.

Let's check out some pictures of Bertha...



The image above goes back 12 hours (from 11 a.m. on Tuesday.) At this point Hurricane Bertha was still a Category Three, Major Hurricane. The yellow arrow points to the eye.

The following image is from 11 a.m. on Tuesday. At this point Bertha was only a Category Two storm. You can see the eye no longer defined as above.



Your Hurricane Bertha Update:
Hurricane Bertha, now only a Category Two Hurricane, has maximum sustained winds near 105 mph, with high gusts, a minimum central pressure of 970 millibars and is moving northwest at about 10 mph. Bertha is about 660 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and 975 miles southeast of Bermuda. Additional weakening is in the forecast for Bertha. There is a chance Bertha could impact Bermuda, but it is still too soon to tell for sure.

Hurricane Bertha even stronger....

Tropical Storm Bertha became the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season early this morning. WHILE IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO TELL IF BERTHA WILL THREATEN LAND, depending on the direction Bertha continues to take, there may be potential impacts to Bermuda.

Over the past 6 hours, Bertha’s eye has become more distinct. With maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, she is a category one hurricane and may become a category two storm later today. (A category two hurricane has winds of 96-110 mph.)

FORECAST MODELS DO INDICATE THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT MAY CAUSE BERTHA TO WEAKEN DOWN THE ROAD.

Right now Bertha is headed WNW at 15 mph and is expected to turn more to the north and slow down over the next day.

Central pressure is sitting at 975 mb.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 mph, with tropical storm force winds outward up to 115 mph.

Right now, Bertha is located 775 miles off the Northern Leeward Islands. If you are not familiar with this location, the Leeward Islands include the Virgin Islands and are located where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.

CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES ON HOW THIS STORM MAY AFFECT ANY VACATION PLANS AND OUR WEATHER ON DELMARVA.

Bertha... Now a Hurricane

Tropical Storm Bertha, now Hurricane Bertha, is the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Bertha was located about 845 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands at 5 a.m. this morning. Hurricane Bertha is moving west-northwest at about 17 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 75 miles, with higher wind gusts and a minimum central pressure of 987 millibars.



According to the National Hurricane Center, it is still too soon to tell if Bertha will affect any land.

Tropical Storm Bertha... or Hurricane Bertha?

Tropical Storm Bertha was located about 1,055 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Bertha is moving west-northwest at about 20 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, with higher gusts and a minimum central pressure of 998 millibars. At this point it is too soon to tell if Bertha will affect any land areas, however she may become a hurricane over the next couple of days.

To become a hurricane, Bertha needs maximum sustained winds of 74 mph! Not to far off, especially since her winds have strengthened 10 mph in the past day. With that said, Bertha may be the first hurricane of our 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season.

Update on Bertha

Tropical Storm Bertha was located about 885 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands and 1,705 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands at 11 a.m. this morning. Bertha is moving west at about 21 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, with higher gusts and a minimum central pressure of 1000 millibars.

Yesterday's Sunset

Here is another picture sent in by Steve Oppel of yesterday's sunset. The picture was taken in Wicomico county, close to the WMDT News Station.

Number Two in the Lineup

It is official, we now have our second tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.



Tropical Storm Bertha was located about 190 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands at 11 a.m. The outer bands from this storm are currently affecting the southern Cape Verde Islands. Bertha is moving at about 14 mph, west-northwest with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, with stronger gusts. The minimum pressure is 1006 mb (29.71".) The tropical storm force winds extend about 35 miles out.

Tropical Depression TWO...perhaps Tropical Storm Bertha soon

I mentioned something was brewing in the Atlantic a few days ago... as of this morning that tropical wave is officially Tropical Depression TWO. At 5 a.m. this morning, the National Hurricane Center said this system was located about 250 miles south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands. This system is moving west-northwest at about 9 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. This system is expected to strengthen; if that is the case this system would be the second tropical storm of the season, Tropical Storm Bertha. We'll keep you updated on how this system may/may not affect the weather on Delmarva or any of your vacation plans.

Pictures from You...

Here are a few pictures that have been sent into us over the past couple of days.

First I am going to start with a few pictures sent in from one of our Weather Watchers, Hunter Outten from Frankford, Del. These pictures were some of the thunderstorms that rolled across Delmarva this past Monday.

This first pictures looks like a shelf cloud associated with the thunderstorm. A shelf cloud is typically found of the leading edge of a thunderstorm. Unlike a roll cloud, which is completely detached from the parent cloud (if you go back to April's blog you will find an example of a roll cloud,) a shelf cloud is attached to it's parent cloud, in this case the thunderstorm. If you haven't guessed already, a shelf cloud gets its name because it looks like a shelf in the sky.




Hunter said the next picture was taken as the storm was moving away. It is a pretty cool picture of the thunderstorm.



From what I can tell in the following picture, it looks like Hunter captured a picture of mammatocumulus (have fun pronouncing that one!) According to wikipedia.org, mammatocumulus stands for "bumpy clouds." I tried to add an arrow to part of the picture where I thought you could best see the "bump."



Talk about different types of weather. The pictures above were all from thunderstorms associated with a cold front that stalled out over us, producing a few nights with some nasty weather. The following day, Tuesday, Steve Oppel who works in Master Control here at WMDT, sent the following picture in. I think this is a great picture. It's amazing how you can having menacing clouds as in Hunters pictures above and then pleasant clouds like in the picture below.



Thanks for all of the pictures!! I am always looking for new pictures to place on the blog and on-air during the weathercasts. May it be a storm picture, or just a picture of a nice summer day, please send them in to weather@wmdt.com.

Update on the Tropical Wave

From the National Hurricane Center:

"THE WELL-DEFINED TROPICAL WAVE IN THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC...ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS...HAS NOT BECOME ANY BETTER ORGANIZED THIS MORNING AS IT CONTINUES WESTWARD AT ABOUT 15 MPH. HOWEVER...ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT...AND THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. "

Something brewing in the Atlantic?

It looks like something is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean...



Here is an update from the National Hurricane Center:

“ A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE IS LOCATED OVER THE EXTREME EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN ABOUT 150 MILES WEST OF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA. THIS SYSTEM IS ACCOMPANIED BY A BROAD AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND A WEAK SURFACE LOW. SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD AT ABOUT 15 TO 20 MPH.”

June Review

The month of June ended warmer and wetter than normal. The average high temperature in Salisbury was 86.6°...that's 4.1° warmer than normal. We had 10 days when the high temperature reached 90° or above.

Good news for farmers, we received 4.45" of rain in June...that's 0.88" above normal. Last year at this time, we were behind 1.09" for June. So far in 2008, Salisbury is 3.63" above normal in terms of rainfall.


Salisbury wasn't the only location that ended June warmer than normal. Richmond's average high temp for June was 91.4° - the highest on record! The previous highest had been 90° in 1984. Here are some other facts for Richmond:

***19 DAYS HIT 90+ IN JUNE. THIS RANKS 2ND (MOST 90+ DAYS FOR ANY
JUNE IS 20 IN 1943).

***THE 13 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES 90+ FROM JUNE 4-16
TIED 1943 (JUNE 16-28) FOR THE LONGEST SUCH STREAK WITHIN JUNE.

***THE 3 DAYS OF 100+ HIGH TEMPERATURES (JUNE 7, 8, AND 10) ARE THE
MOST OF ANY JUNE SINCE 1952 WHEN 3 WERE ALSO RECORDED.


Norfolk also ended June on a warm note.

***AVG HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 89.3 F...THE HIGHEST ON
RECORD. (PREVIOUS HIGHEST HAD BEEN 88.8 F IN 1943).

***THE 2 DAYS OF 100+ HIGH TEMPERATURES (JUNE 7 AND 10) ARE THE MOST
OF ANY JUNE SINCE 1952 WHEN 2 WERE ALSO RECORDED.

Courtesy NWS