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August 31, 2005
Catastrophic Damage
Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina cover a portion of New Orleans, Louisiana Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, a day after Katrina passed through the city. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Posted by Jeff at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
Donate to the RedCross Hurricane Relief
Click here to Donate to Redcross
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August 30, 2005
For the record books...
Posted by Jeff at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2005
Katrina
It's hard to keep quiet with such an event like Katrina. I am on vacation-- and have almost no access but here's an update. All those in NY should be happy that Katrina will be moving Northbound into the Tennessee River Valley and will continue then to the Ohio Valley. Most of the heavy rain will miss the east coast area with just some shower activity. It will be a beautiful Labor Day weekend.
Posted by Jeff at 06:35 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2005
On vacation on Block Island. No blog updates till sept 1st.
Posted by Jeff at 08:31 AM | Comments (4)
August 24, 2005
Hello Katrina
Tropical depression number 12 is situated 95 miles south of Nassau, Bahamas. It will continue to develop today as conditions have become more favorable. Florida will start feeling the effects of the storm later this afternoon. This depression will most likely become Tropical Storm Katrina before it makes landfall. For the most part, significant rain looks to be the main concern from this storm. Localized flooding is possible.
Posted by Jeff at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2005
East Hampton Star Reports Great White Shark
Photo: Stephen Frink
I was having dinner Saturday night with Mike, John and Paula. We ventured out to a new Japanese restaurant called Butai. It was a nicely designed, well lit, hip restaurant. I was thinking either it hasn't caught on yet, or it's just summer in the city and everyone is away. The food was pretty good, but I didn't really enjoy it as I was running a fever of 102. I was coming down with something and probably should have just canceled. But, I love hanging with those guys. Mike was sitting there, texting Rocco profusely while Paula serenading him with her new awesome national geographic gig- John turns to me and says "Hey, did you hear about the Great White Shark in East Hampton last week". I had not heard of any reports. It's crazy how everyone has been going in the ocean this summer, even those beach people who just sit, and rarely stick their feet in the water. Anyway, John proceeds to tell me about the story etc. Now, I know for sure that Great Whites don't frequent our waters. However, last year a hammerhead shark was spotted just off East Hampton and in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, a Great White found its way over a sand bar, trapping itself. Fisherman used nets to guide it back to sea. So, it is totally possible. Hey, there was even a dolphin the Hudson river a few years ago.
Now, According to the East Hampton Star, the Great White was seen hanging around a buoy. Lifeguards thought some kind of sea life was captured ( maybe a whale, turtle etc )and jet skiied out. The lifeguards on the jetskis approached and the Jet Ski was then pulled backwards "The Jet Ski is 900 pounds and it doesn't go backwards, and with the throttle [engaged]," said Mr. Ryan (the lfieguard), still amazed at the shark's power.
The shark then changed direction, causing the jetski to capsize, tossing the guards into the water. "We turned it over, but then it flipped again. We were lying on the bottom of it," Mr. Ryan said, "but we still had the tow rope and buoy." The shark continued to tow them on their capsized Jet Ski as people on the beach watched. "The whole beach started screaming," Mr. Ryan said."
I'm sorry, this is totally something out of Jaws. As some of you know, on Fire Island, if you head due East on the beach, you can just come short of the West Hampton Dunes. I find this all a little too close to home, but I'll still go swimming, just not as far out. Remember, the ocean is not our living environment, its theirs.
JR
Posted by Jeff at 03:04 PM | Comments (5)
August 20, 2005
Storms are on the way
A lightning bolt seen with the familar mamatus clouds passes over Brookfield, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005. The (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A warm front will be moving through the area tonight, followed by a very strong cold front on Sunday. The result- a clash of a two very unstable air masses. We could see the possibility of very severe thunderstorms on Sunday morning. These thunderstorms could produce wind gusts in excess of 55 mph as the stronger jet stream winds advance into the region. Be on the look out. This front will provide a nice relief and a great week with high temps in the 80's and nightly lows down into the 60's.
Posted by Jeff at 11:08 AM | Comments (3)
August 18, 2005
30 Day Temperature Outlook
Global temperatures were second-highest on record for the July, according to scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The next 30 days look above normal for the eastern searboard, while the central states should see well below normal temperatures. Rainfall is also looking above average as well...
Posted by Jeff at 10:45 AM | Comments (2)
Sydney to Hobart -- A Very Dangerous Race
Rani and Ichi Ban from the CYCA archives
I was browsing some files on a research site and came across a satellite image of the ocean wave heights across the world. I noticed that the southern oceans, spanning from Australia to Antarctica, are incredibly rough -- we are talking 40 ft + seas. So, I had asked Andy Young, one of my readers from Australia who studied Metrology and Environmental sciences, "why are the southern seas so much rougher than the northern ones?" He explained that "the southern oceans and Antarctic winds are incredibly strong and have very little in the way of drag -- the ocean drift in the roaring 40's has almost no obstacles, so the
waves build to enormous proportions in their easterly progress." Andy has asked me if I had ever heard about the Hobart Race in '98, a race of approximately 628 nautical miles from Sydney to Hobart. I had heard of it being a pretty harsh run with crazy weather conditions, but didn't know too much about it. The '98 race was incredibly dangerous. 115 yachts started at Sydney Harbor but only 44 boats made it to Hobart. From the rough seas and winds, five boats sank, 66 boats retired from the race, six sailors died, and 55 sailors were taken off their yachts, most by helicopter. The first yacht to make it across was the US Maxi yacht Sayonara owned by Larry Ellison of Oracle. He said it was the most frightened he had ever been.
Posted by Jeff at 06:35 AM | Comments (1)
August 17, 2005
What a sight...
Incredible shot by Andy Towle during Sunday's crazy thunderstorms. I grew up watching the empire state get hit by lightning -- but never had the ability to capture it. Way to go Andy, this is totally on the money!
Posted by Jeff at 12:04 PM | Comments (1)
Tsunami here? No way...
2004 was a bad year for weather. It didn't matter where you lived. There were hurricanes, there were typhoons and they were Tsunamis. The December 2004 Tsunami that struck southeast Asia gave us a good sense of what kind of devastation they can bring. Coastal cities were pummeled, homes ruined, and hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. It was a horrific catastrophe that no one hopes will happen here or anywhere else. But in reality, can it happen to us?
The answer is yes. British geologists have been studying a couple of islands in the eastern Atlantic. Many of us have heard of them, and some of us have been there. La Palma in the Canary Islands, and Fogo in the Cape Verde Islands.
After some initial research, a collapse of either of these volcanic structures would be a prime site for the start of a large tsunami. The path would travel westward across the Atlantic and crash into the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada. Scientists discovered that at least eleven mega tsunamis have already occurred in the last 200,000 years, caused by island collapses in these regions.
Crazy Crazy stuff. Just something else to be worried about.
Posted by Jeff at 07:28 AM | Comments (5)
August 16, 2005
Stinky streets, sweltering heat...
Finally, the rain Sunday night broke the sweltering heat. The city needed a major wash down; it was getting to the point where you couldn't walk down certain blocks without holding your nose. I can't stand that. I love the summer, but I just can't take the hot smelly streets and the overcrowded boiling subways in the morning. It starts me off on the wrong foot. (Have you noticed how many times someone has said "It's not the heat, its the humidity"?)
The heat this summer has been so oppressive- with 90's + almost every day, I get excited about the thought of returning home to my AC cooled apartment - just the thought of standing in front of it sounds good now. For me, that's nirvana in the city during the summer.
With almost no rainfall, except a few thundershowers here, we have entered a very dry spell. The image below indicates that our area ( Southern NY) has moved into a D(0) Zone. This means we are not in a drought, but extremely dry land conditions persist. Hmm, that makes me want to grab a glass of water.
Posted by Jeff at 11:08 PM | Comments (1)
August 15, 2005
The Big One?
AP Photo/Wally Santana
I find it distressing that most New Yorkers I've spoken to feel that in the event of a major hurricane, New York city would escape completely unscathed. Although it is unlikely of a strong category 4 or higher to hit, it is very possible and historically speaking, overdue. Just look at the subways tonight. After just two thunderstorms, the underground was paralyzed.
What most residents don't realize is that New York and New Jersey meet at a right angle, and that could potentially lead to very devastating and deadly storm tides, particularly, if a landfalling hurricane would coincide with high tide.
The last major hurricane to strike was The 1938 Long Island Express, a borderline category-4 hurricane that plowed into West Hampton. The storm caused widespread death and devastation across New York, New Jersey and New England. Since then, there have been hurricanes but none with such intensity. In the past two years, we have seen so many storms forming in the Atlantic and with more storms, there is a greater possibility of the big one actually hitting the east coast.
Check out this map outlining areas in New York City that will be severely affected by storm surge in the event of a major hurricane.
If you live in Communities in Zone A, represented by the orange color ( say anywhere 42nd street east or west side along the river) you face the highest risk of life-threatening storm surge inundation.
Zone B, represented by yellow, indicates areas at risk of storm surge inundation from a MODERATE hurricane. Zone C, represented by the following green, indicates areas at risk of storm surge inundation. According to the United States Geological Survey, there is a 71% probability of a major hurricane that will cause 1,000 deaths within the next 20 years. Would you be prepared? Check out my friend Scott Stuart's piece on "The eye of the storm"
Posted by Jeff at 12:22 AM | Comments (4)
August 14, 2005
What the Fulgarite
I woke up really early this morning; mainly because I had gotten so much sleep last night and it was so humid out (condensation was even forming on counter). I headed down to the beach to take some shots of the swells associated with Tropical Storm Irene. Standing on the corner of the walk, I bumped into Adam, who was also checking out the conditions of the beach. We started talking about weather, of course, and how Friday night produced such an amazing light show. I was in the city that night and did not happen to catch it. He then proceeded to tell me about looking for "Fulgarites". I really had no idea what he was talking about- so I asked, "What in the world are Fulgarites". I had then just learned that Fulgarites are formed when lightning stikes the sand. As the sand cools down, it forms rock like glass hollow tubes. I'll certainly have to keep an eye out. I the meantime, if you wanted to purchase one for yourself (who knows, maybe you collect odd objects) and at just 6 bucks, a bargain-- click here. This image was taken at some tropical beach by Sexto Sol.
Posted by Jeff at 08:50 AM | Comments (1)
August 13, 2005
Simply Beautiful
This shot was taken by Ian Carwright. A great capture of a front offshore.
Posted by Jeff at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2005
Holy Lightning !
This shot was taken in Chicago by Kim Steel. What a shot!
Posted by Jeff at 09:26 AM | Comments (2)
Tropical Storm Irene Development
Meteorologists at Accuweather depict this graphic of ocean temperatures and Irene's location. If you'll notice the reds moving all the way up the NE coast; that's the gulf stream - and it is where Irene will build in strength. Ocean temps in the 80's will fuel the storm to become a category 1 by Saturday. What does this mean? This means winds in excess of 73 mph, a minimal hurricane. Exact track is still unknown. Anywhere from the Carolina coast to the cape should be monitoring as information becomes available.
JR
Posted by Jeff at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2005
Keeping a very close watch on the East Coast.....
Tropical storm Irene has been upgraded and downgraded through its journey across the Atlantic waters. While Irene is still a minimal storm, it will move into very warm waters in the next few days and develop into a hurricane. Accuweather meteorologists are expecting Irene to build to a category 1 storm and possibly higher. There are many factors that will play a very important role in the exact path of the storm. One of the most important factors will be the steering currents of a high pressure ridge off the coast line. This will allow Irene to either hug the coast or steer out to sea. Obviously there is much uncertainty at this time so look for the forecast to be fine-tuned as details become more certain. JR
Posted by Jeff at 09:12 AM | Comments (5)
Hello Stalker !
Can you say scary???? Dave showed me last week that you can actualy zoom in to any postal address with Googles new Beta Map search. Check out our house at the beach!
to check yours go to www.maps.google.com
Posted by Jeff at 08:32 AM | Comments (2)
Hard Rain
This image is simple amazing. A great shot of a thunderstorm with a nice downburst of rain! I found this on my hardrive and can't seem to locate who the photographer was. Kudos to whoever you are!
Posted by Jeff at 07:05 AM | Comments (2)
August 10, 2005
Global Warming? Fact of Fiction...
I'm on the road today heading to Accuweather in State College PA. It's smack in the center of Pennsyania, the middle nowhere. It took about four hours to get here, and I was speeding.. I thought a good topic today would be global warming... Everyone has their own opinions, and I have mine. I find it very hard to believe that some of us really don't think that global warming is occurring. For years and years we have been burning fossil fuels -- oil, coal and gas-- to generate electricity and for power for our cars. It is a no brainer that these produce the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming. Consequently, the more we burn, the greater acceleration of global warming. The Earth can't have the capacity to clean up all of these toxins. All of these gases have to go somewhere and they create a "windshield" in our atmosphere, creating excess heat. I was reading up on the national defense council and they say "Average temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere in the world. Arctic ice is getting thinner, melting and rupturing. For example, the largest single block of ice in the Arctic, the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, had been around for 3,000 years before it started cracking in 2000. Within two years it had split all the way through and is now breaking into pieces".
According to the Union of concerned Scientists, they state evidence that human-induced global warming is real cannot be ignored.Here's what they found.
-Since the beginning of the 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 1.1°F.
-Over the last 40 years, which is the period with the most reliable data, the temperature increased by about 0.5°F (0.2-0.3°C).
-Warming in the 20th century is greater than at any time during the past 400 to 600 years.
-Seven of the 10 warmest years in the 20th century occurred in the 1990s. In fact, the hottest year since reliable instrumental temperature measurements began was 1998, when global temperatures spiked due to one of the strongest El Niños on record.
And on top of that, whats up with all the excessive heat this summer?
What do you think?
Posted by Jeff at 09:43 AM | Comments (3)
August 09, 2005
Gone Fishin'.. with Satellites
In the summer, Six of the worlds 13 Tuna Species chill out just off the jersey and long island shores. Weather plays a very important role in the migration of Tuna. Tuna are pelagic; which means they live up in the water column as opposed to the ocean floor. They are also migratory fish. Tunas frequent temperate and tropical oceans, where the surface water temperature exceeds 64 degrees. This year with above normal ocean temperatures, we could be looking at a prolonged tuna season well into late fall.
You don't just have to be a good captain to find tuna -- you have to really have to look at data. By looking at real time satellite reports you can actually guess where the fish are-- and be right, without being there. Thermal satellite charts can help you find major temperature breaks and eddies; finding the breaks in temperatures will usually find where the tunas are feeding. Warm-water eddies are circulating masses that have broken away from the main current of the Gulf Stream. Eddies spin in a clockwise direction as they continue flowing to the north.
According to Dr. Mitch Roffer of Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service in Miami, a company that provides analyses of ocean temperature images, "A large eddy can easily be 120 miles in diameter, with a typical depth of 3,000 feet. They're somewhat circular in shape and contain Gulf Stream water and the fish associated with it."
Check out last summers tuna fishing trip to the Toms canyon, just about 85 miles out on the canyon ledge. It was a great trip with a mix of Yellowfins, Swordfish and Longfin Tunas. This years trip should be in September when the Bluefins arrive again. This was Brian and I last year with our first longfin, and this was a picture of Mike and I with a long fin as well
Past Deep Sea shots. Sharks, Tuna, Swordfish
Posted by Jeff at 06:29 AM | Comments (3)
August 08, 2005
So.. What exactly is a dew point?
Joe had asked me Saturday night what exactly is a dew point? While I provided a general answer, here's a more scientifically correct explanation. Quite simply, dew points indicate the amount moisture in the air. The dew point temperature is defined as the temperature to which the air would have to cool in order to reach saturation. A state of saturation exists when the air is holding the maximum amount of water vapor possible at the existing temperature and pressure.
The Dew point temperature is never greater than the air temperature. Therefore, if the air cools, moisture must be removed from the air and this is accomplished through condensation. Think of an ice cold soda can on a warm day.
This process results in the formation of tiny water droplets that can lead to the development of fog, frost, clouds, or even precipitation.
Posted by Jeff at 10:02 AM | Comments (2)
August 07, 2005
Great Weekend weather
It was a great weekend to be at the beach. The weather was fantastic, albeit a little warm. I captured this shot last summer and it made me reminiscent of the past few days. The water reflected amazing blues and greens and was truly beautiful. After the front pulled through on Friday, the heat finally broke a tiny bit. Nevertheless, temperatures are expected to climb back into the mid 90's by the weeks end. Elswhere, Typhoon Masa slammed into the coast of south east china and Tropical storm Harvey just brushed upon Bermuda. It's been an active weekend weather wise! Stay tuned.
Posted by Jeff at 07:28 PM | Comments (1)
Tropical Storm Irene Setting Records.. .
Well, finally TD #9 has developed into TS Irene. Due to heavy wind shear and unsatisfactory atmospheric conditions, Irene has taken greater time than expected in developing. Nevertheless, with a gradual wind shear reducing, Irene is expected to move towards the Northwest and arrive in the Bermuda vicinity in the next 4-5 days. Irene was the earliest 9th named troical storm ever recorded.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Harvey (50 mph), which whipped Bermuda last week, is swirling northeastward over 700 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Harvey is expected to become extra tropical (non-tropical) tomorrow as it curves to a more ENE track and weakens further.
Posted by Jeff at 11:45 AM
August 05, 2005
Picture of the Day
Some of us love a good thunderstorm. Hopefully we should have some storms rolling through the area late this afternoon as a cold front swings by. This should temporarily break the excessive heat. Temperatures are already approaching 90 before 11 am. While the heat is nice at the beach, we are tired of it in the city!
Check out this mid-summer thunderstorm on Matanzas bay in St. Augustine, Florida. It was taken by Scozzaro.
Posted by Jeff at 10:53 AM | Comments (3)
Keeping a close eye on #9
A very strong tropical wave has moved off the coast of Africa and developed into depression # 9 yesterday. This system has shown convective building and some organization as well. It is expected to develop into a tropical storm within the next few days as it moves westward and could possibly reach Hurricane Strength by the begining of next week. This would become Irene. Keep posted as this storm looks on track for Bermuda.
Posted by Jeff at 10:05 AM | Comments (1)
August 03, 2005
Tropical Depression # 8
Yesterday, The National Weather Service raised its numbers for tropical systems to develop to as many as 21 storms this summer. Coincidently, a new tropical storm forms in the Atlantic. Harvey will not be a threat to any US land but will impact Bermuda with high surf and winds. See map below for expected track and development.
Posted by Jeff at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)
Photo of the day
Last night I had dinner at Julep with Brian and Joe- great clams and lobster rolls btw; I would highly recommend, but bring one of those clean wipes. You'll need it. The subject came up about thunderstorms and how Brian's house in the Berkshires got a bit flooded by a nasty cell that blew through the area. We were chatting about hail and how they can grow to extraordinary sizes such as golf balls or grapefruits in strong damaging thunderstorms. Check out this hailstone recorded at the NOAA. You'll notice smaller stones visible on the surface. Ruler shows radius of this remarkable hail stone. Diameter is approximately 6 inches - the size of a grapefruit. I wouldn't want to be outside during that storm.
Posted by Jeff at 08:34 AM | Comments (3)
August 02, 2005
What in the World?
My friend Toby forwarded me a few strange cloud formations he had found online. I've seen these only a few times but not often. Jorn Oslen took these amazing shots. These are Mammatus clouds and are almost extraterrestrial looking in nature. Mammatus (also known as mamma or mammatocumulus) is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. These pouches are often ragged, but may appear smooth. Their color is normally a bluish gray, the same as that of the host cloud, but direct illumination from the setting sun and other clouds may cause a gold or reddish cast as in this shot by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. . Mammatus can persist anywhere from minutes to hours, diffusing and disappearing over time.
Mammatus has often been linked with the occurrence of tornadoes and thunderstorms.
Posted by Jeff at 09:13 AM | Comments (3)
Heat Wave
It's the dog days of summer and that means heat and humidity! Temperatures are expected to soar into the lower to mid 90's in the tri state area with a heat index of 100+. Temperatures are expected to break a bit by the weekend.
Posted by Jeff at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2005
Day on the water
Capt. Dave and I went fishing just North of the Cholera Banks on Monday and produced 5 bluefish on the troll. Water was calm with some rollers. Headed back inshore for some fluke where we caught 5 shorts, 3 sea robbins and a really nice tan. Great day on the water! Thanks Dave!
Posted by Jeff at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)
Ozone levels
This map shows NOAA's National Weather Service Air Quality Forecast Guidance as 1-hour and 8-hour ozone concentration. The first image illustrates air quality at 8 am today.
the second image illustrates air ozone quality for rush hour. You'll notice that CT and LI has poor areas of ozone quality. One usually finds higher ozone in a downwind direction from the urban area, since it takes a few hours for the chemical reactions to occur and form higher ozone concentrations. So the pollutant gases emitted within NYC may cause higher ozone to form a few hours downwind, such as in southern CT or Long Island . However, if the winds are calm, the ozone-forming reactions will occur closer to the urban source areas and cause ozone buildup in the urban cores.
Posted by Jeff at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)