Hurricane Irma is a 'potentially catastrophic' Category 5 storm

Category 5 Hurricane Irma has become one of the strongest storms recorded in the Atlantic, and is threatening to slam into Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with "potentially catastrophic" force on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Daniel

In early July 2012, two simultaneous hurricanes blew over the eastern Pacific Ocean: Hurricane Emilia and Hurricane Daniel. The first of the two storms to form, Daniel started as a tropical depression on July 4. The storm had strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane by 12:20 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on July 8, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image. By that time, Daniel sported a distinct eye characteristic of hurricanes, and its spiral arms spanned hundreds of kilometers over the open ocean.

At 2:00 p.m. PDT on July 8, not long after MODIS acquired this image, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Daniel was located roughly 1,120 miles (1,800 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles (165 kilometers) per hour.

By the following day, Daniel had weakened, though it remained a hurricane. At 8:00 a.m. PDT on July 9, Daniel had moved farther away from Baja California, and the storm’s wind speeds had dropped to 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour. No hazards affected land as of July 9, the NHC reported, and Daniel was expected to weaken further as it continued moving westward.

Though the storm posed no threat to Mexico, it had the potential to bring unsettled weather to Hawaii. Daniel’s remnants were expected to pass south of the island chain around July 13, 2012, AccuWeather reported. Remnants of the storm might cause gusty winds, heavy rains, and even localized flash flooding.

Taken from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

Tropical Storm Emilia

As Daniel weakened over the eastern Pacific in early July 2012, Emilia strengthened. Emilia formed as a tropical depression on July 7, and within two days intensified to a Category 1 hurricane, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. As of 2:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on July 9, Emilia was located roughly 760 miles (1,225 kilometers) south of the southern tip of Baja California, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour.

Emilia was still a tropical storm when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terrasatellite captured this natural-color image at 10:45 a.m. PDT on July 8. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, and was headed west-northwest, the NHC reported.

The NHC forecast that Emilia could become a major hurricane by July 10 as it continued moving westward over the Pacific Ocean. As of July 9, however, it posed no hazards to land.

taken from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

Super typhoon Slams into Philippines

Typhoon Megi a category 5 super typhoon, the highest rating, with winds of more than 250 kph (155 mph) slammed into Isabela province, northern Philippines at 11:25 a.m.  It was last known heading southwest across the north of the main island of Luzon. Megi, known as Juan locally, is the world's strongest tropical cyclone of the year so far, according to website Accuweather.com.

Read More: http://devconsultancygroup.blogspot.com/2010/10/super-typhoon-slams-philippines.html

RT @CNNweather: Check out CNN.com/hurricane to track Atlantic hurricane activity, including Earl and Tropical Storm Fiona

RT @wxchannel: Hurricane Danielle has strengthened to Category 4 status (135 mph winds). Latest maps: http://wxch.nl/aFBaSx