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Tropical Storm Zeta Forms in Atlantic

Posted by Zonk on from the dogs-and-cats-living-together-mass-hysteria dept.

APSR writes "Even though the Atlantic hurricane season official ends on November 30th, more storms can form and still count towards the total for the year! According to MSN.com Weather News, Tropical Storm Zeta was formed in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean on December 30th. This storm extends the record-breaking 2005 season to 27 storms, and it's the 6th storm named using the Greek alphabet. According to Wikipedia, Zeta is the latest a tropical cyclone was formed in the Atlantic, forming around 11 AM ET; this dethrones Hurricane Alice of 1954, which formed December 30th around 2 AM ET. The storm itself will continue to strengthen for 12-24 hours, then weaken; it will not likely make landfall." We've already set records this year, as previously reported.

5 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Re:If a storm forms after January 1st, do they.... by ceejayoz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Apparently, everything starts over in the new year.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Alice

    At the time, the National Weather Service used the same naming list each year, so the name given to this storm was "Alice" and it was designated as a part of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. However, it was found during post-storm analysis that the storm had actually formed on December 30, and was instead a part of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. Therefore, that season had two storms named "Alice": the first storm of the season, and the last. Had Alice been discovered in 1954, it would have been named Irene, the next name on the 1954 list.

  2. Not to rip on Wikipedia... by Spazntwich · · Score: 4, Informative

    but I think the National Hurricane Center makes a much more relevent and useful link when it comes to HURRICANES.

    http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

  3. Re:Stop naming tropical storms... by d34thm0nk3y · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is what the "greenies" forget. they get all up in arms about there being more storms in a hurricane season when we never used to record storms. we only used to record hurricanes.

    How did I know this would be modded up? From the article:

    The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the busiest on record, with 27 tropical storms, besting the old record of 21 set in 1933. Fourteen of them grew into hurricanes, among the Katrina, beating the record of 12 set in 1969. Hurricanes Dennis, Rita and Wilma also caused significant damage in the U.S.

  4. Re:Stop naming tropical storms... by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 4, Informative
    This is what the "greenies" forget. they get all up in arms about there being more storms in a hurricane season when we never used to record storms.

    Yeah, like those "greenies" at NOAA:

    "This hurricane season shattered records that have stood for decades -- most named storms, most hurricanes and most category five storms. Arguably, it was the most devastating hurricane season the country has experienced in modern times." -- Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

    The frequency of storms seems to be cyclical and unrelated to global warming trends. Their strength, however, is related to the temperature increase.

    they get all up in arms about there being more storms in a hurricane season when we never used to record storms. we only used to record hurricanes.

    The NOAA link I give above notes that in 1933 there were 21 named storms. So apparently they were recording and naming them seventy years ago. When exactly is it that you're claiming "we only used to record hurricanes"?

    --
    Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
    You cannot wash away blood with blood
  5. Alice not necessarily dethroned by usn2fsu03 · · Score: 4, Informative
    From the summary:
    Zeta is the latest a tropical cyclone was formed in the Atlantic, forming around 11 AM ET; this dethrones Hurricane Alice of 1954, which formed December 30th around 2 AM ET.
    From the second NHC Zeta discussion:
    THE HISTORICAL RECORD SHOWS THAT ALICE OFFICIALLY BECAME A TROPICAL STORM AT 1200 UTC 30 DECEMBER 1954. MY WORKING BEST TRACK FOR ZETA CURRENTLY SHOWS STORM STATUS BEGINNING AT 1200 UTC THIS MORNING... WHICH TENTATIVELY ALLOWS ZETA TO TIE ALICE FOR THE LATEST FORMING TROPICAL STORM IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. HOWEVER...A CASE CAN BE MADE FOR CONSIDERING ZETA A TROPICAL STORM AS EARLY AS 0600 UTC THIS MORNING. WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FINAL ANALYSIS OF ZETA'S TRACK TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE ITS FORMATION FALLS RELATIVE TO ALICE'S.