12 September, 2017
As of the last update from the National Hurricane Center at 10 p.m. CDT Friday, Hurricane Jose was located about 265 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands and was moving to the west-northwest at 14 mph.
The tiny islands directly crossed by Irma, like Barbuda and St. Martin, did little to weaken it, but the storm's intensity could be measurably diminished by a close encounter with a larger land mass, such as Cuba, en route to the us mainland, scientists said.
A hurricane watch has been posted for Antigua and Barbuda, parts of which sustained catastrophic damage from Irma.
"When dry air comes into the storm, it impedes transfer of heat", Haus said.
The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday afternoon further cyclone formation is not expected in the next five days.
So powerful is Irma that it may end up dampening another Category 4 storm in its wake, Hurricane Jose, which like Irma originated off the west coast of Africa and was following a similar course. Although it is still early on, brand-new Hurricane Jose may come into focus within the next two weeks as interaction with the USA coastline can not be ruled out. The authorities are concerned and already preparing for evacuation and relief efforts for Hurricane Irma devastation that is set to hit Florida over Sunday. Katia was a weak tropical storm just six hours ago.
Hurricane Jose: Track takes weakening storm on an Atlantic loop
The hurricane is now moving at a speed of 13 miles per hour. While it is in the Gulf of Mexico, the forecast calls for Katia to slowly meander in the Southern Gulf before turning back towards Mexico and making landfall on Saturday.
This is the first time in seven years that three hurricanes have spun in the Atlantic Basin at the same time, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach. The storm is expected to strengthen during the next 48 hours.
All three of these storms are a sign it's peak hurricane season. Hurricane Irma has spent nearly all of the last 4 days as a Category 5 hurricane - the most intense of hurricanes.
The most direct ways climate change influences hurricane landfalls can come in the form of increased storm surge as a result of sea level rise. If Irma's center marches north directly over Florida's eastern coastline, former hurricane hunter Jeff Masters says high winds and storm surges could turn the Gold Coast to the Mud Coast.
April 21, 2017 - Arlene moves southwest and south until it dissipates. The storm's hurricane-force winds (classified as 74 mph or higher) extend 25 miles out from the center, and the radius of tropical-storm-force winds extends about 70 miles.