MIAMI – The internet was abuzz on Monday as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) identified an area of interest in the Atlantic Ocean more than two months ahead of the official start of hurricane season. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross suggested that the NHC’s decision to issue the advisory was likely influenced by the system’s tropical appearance captured on satellite imagery the day before.
The NHC noted that a non-tropical area of low pressure, situated hundreds of miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, was generating gale-force winds within a disorganized cluster of showers and thunderstorms. However, by Tuesday, unfavorable conditions, including strong wind shear, hampered any potential development of a tropical system.
While it is uncommon for a named storm to form in March, it has occurred in the past. Norcross referenced an instance in 1908 when a storm originating from a similar system in the Atlantic eventually intensified as it moved southward towards the Caribbean.
Despite the slight chance of development for the current system, the NHC’s early alert serves as a reminder to stay prepared for the upcoming hurricane season, which officially commences on June 1.
Source: Bryan Norcross explains the rationale behind the National Hurricane Center’s identification of an early area of interest in the Atlantic.
