Hurricane season is here

June 1st start this years hurricane season for the atlantic. We have already had are first named storm of the season, Arthur.
THE REMNANTS OF ARTHUR CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS OVER PORTIONS
OF BELIZE...GUATEMALA...AND SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO. WHILE
REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS NOT EXPECTED...ASSOCIATED HEAVY
RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...
ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS
AS IT MOVES SLOWLY WESTWARD.
Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Belize coast on May 31, developing out of the interaction between a tropical wave and the remnants of Tropical Storm Alma, and made landfall on Belize a short while later. The system traversed the Yucatan Peninsula slowly and dissipated inland on June 2. Arthur is the first tropical storm to form in May since Tropical Storm Arlene in 1981. Other systems have formed (such as Subtropical Storm Andrea in 2007), but they have started out as subtropical. The formation of Arthur also marks the first time that a named storm formed in May for two consecutive years.

I wonder how close this years prediction will be and how close to the mark will it be. On December 7, 2007, Klotzbach's team issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2008 season, predicting above-average activity (13 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 of Category 3 or higher). On April 9, 2008, the CSU issued a new forecast, anticipating a well above average hurricane season of 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 intense hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above average season with 12 to 16 storms, 6 to 9 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes.As everyone knows hurricane predictions are not an exact science, During the season 28 storms formed (27 named and one unnamed), surpassing almost all records for storm formation in the Atlantic. More tropical storms, hurricanes, and Category 5 hurricanes formed during the season than in any previously recorded Atlantic season; the only major record for number of storms the season did not capture was most major hurricanes, still held by the 1950 season.

The season was the first season to use "V" and "W" names, and when the season ran out of official alphabetical names after the use of Wilma, forecasters resorted to using letters from the Greek alphabet for the first time (although Alpha and Delta had been used for subtropical storms in the 1970s).

Almost every storm in 2005 set a record for early formation. Of the twenty-eight storms which formed, twenty-two of them qualified as the earliest-forming storm of that number; starting with Hurricane Dennis, almost every storm was such. Source-

2008 hurricane names:
Arthur- may 31
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred

Weather wise this week for rain we are looking at the sea breezes to fire up. Friday on my way home from work i saw a beautiful multicell thunderstorm at least 20 to 25 miles away, you can see ts anvil and parts of the storm still trying to fire up.


Then when I got home, from my back yard you can see a single cell thunderhead that was fully electrified, unfortunately my camera couldn't catch the lightning the shutter just doesn't move slow enough.

Then about 10pm outside in the distance I could see another beautiful thunderhead only visual by its anvil zits. It as such a beautiful site.
Yesterday we had storms firing up in the north I was heading out to get a closer look but my car refused to start. I guess it wasn't meant to be. Another day another storm. Well that's it for me. Have a good Monday!!
Jess
Cloud Stalker