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Hurricane Danielle Now Season's Strongest Storm, on Track to Pass Bermuda
Hurricane Danielle strengthened to become the Atlantic’s strongest 2010 storm so far and continued on a track that will take it east of Bermuda, where a small craft warning has been issued through this weekend.
Danielle’s maximum sustained winds are now 110 miles (177 kilometers) per hour, 1 mph less than the 111 mph needed to become a category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory issued at about 4:45 p.m. Miami time.
The category 2 storm is currently about 680 miles southeast of Bermuda moving northwest at 15 mph, according to the center.
“Satellite imagery indicates that Danielle has developed a well-defined eye and it is expected to become a major hurricane tonight or Friday,” the advisory said. “Interests in Bermuda should monitor the progress of Danielle.”
The center is forecasting Danielle to pass east of Bermuda on Aug. 29, though a westward shift would raise the risk of a direct hit. The Bermuda Weather Service said in its warning 38 mph winds and 9-foot (2.7-meter) waves are expected.
Danielle has now surpassed Hurricane Alex as the season’s most intense storm. Alex had 105-mph winds when it hit northeastern Mexico on June 30.
Tropical Storm
Following Danielle is Tropical Storm Earl, which today gained strength over the Atlantic Ocean. That system had 45-mph winds and was about 1,620 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands just before 4:45 p.m. Miami time. Earl is heading west at 18 mph and forecast to become a hurricane within two days, the center said.
It is expected to become at least a category 3 storm with winds of 111 mph or greater by next week, according to the hurricane center.
Both Earl and Danielle are being deflected away from the U.S. by a low-pressure trough along the East Coast, said Jim Rouiller, senior energy meteorologist at commercial forecaster Planalytics Inc. in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. That barrier will break down soon and open the way for storms.
“I’m beginning to feel more and more confident that the Gulf and Florida will become targets for hurricane strikes as we approach and move through the Labor Day weekend,” Rouiller said. “Once this trough is removed, the U.S. seaboard along with the Gulf will be under the gun.”
Florida is the second-largest producer of oranges behind Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico is home to about 31 percent of U.S. oil output and about 10 percent of natural gas production. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Another Possible Storm
In addition to Danielle and Earl, the hurricane center is tracking an area of disturbed weather about 450 miles southeast of the Cape Verde islands. That system has a 20 percent chance to grow into a storm in the next two days, according to a bulletin issued at about 4:45 p.m.
The area will probably become Fiona, the next name on the hurricane center’s list, said Joe Bastardi, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. He said he expects a series of storms to develop soon as weather patterns known as tropical waves move off Africa and out over the Atlantic.
“You can see them lining up over Africa; it is like a conga line,” Bastardi said.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Frank had 90-mph winds and was heading west at 10 mph from its present location, about 335 miles south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California, the center said. The system isn’t forecast to threaten land within the next five days.
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at Bsullivan10@bloomberg.net
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