Hurricane Season Comes Early: Experts Predict More Major Storms This Year

two atl 0d0 - Hurricane Season Comes Early: Experts Predict More Major Storms This Year

By Glynn Wilson –

It seems hurricane season is coming a little early this year, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday.

Five days before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, the second tropical storm warning of 2016 was issued Friday for the coast of South Carolina by the National Weather Service.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami put out a bulletin warning of tropical storm conditions reaching South Carolina’s coastline from the Savannah River north to the Little River Inlet within 36 hours, during the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The current threat to South Carolina comes in the form of a tropical depression off the southeastern United States. It is actually the second threatening weather system of 2016.

Hurricane Alex formed in January in the far eastern Atlantic, but remained too far out at sea to threaten the Eastern Seaboard. A rare wintertime storm, Alex threatened the Azores island group far off the coast of Portugal, but never came near the U.S.

The latest weather system, now designated Tropical Depression Two with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph), was expected to decrease in forward speed on Saturday and Sunday as it nears the coast, which could make the wind speed increase.

Tropical storms are cyclonic weather systems with sustained surface wind speeds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour (63 to 119 kilometers per hour).

If the wind speed of Tropical Depression Two reaches 39 mph (63 kilometers per hour), it would be named Tropical Storm Bonnie, and by next Wednesday would rank as the first of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

As of Saturday morning, the depression’s center was located near latitude 29.9 North, longitude 77.0 West. It is expected to produce 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) of rainfall from the upper coast of Georgia through eastern South Carolina and into southeastern North Carolina.

Tidal storm surge flooding of 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) above ground level also was expected in the storm warning area, according to the Hurricane Center forecast.

U.S. meteorologists have predicted an increase in the number of named storms this hurricane season compared with below-average numbers during the past three years.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms this year.

Only 11 named storms formed in 2015, including four hurricanes, two of them major.

Track map –

203139W5 NL sm - Hurricane Season Comes Early: Experts Predict More Major Storms This Year

We hope you enjoyed this article.

Before you continue, I’d like to ask if you could support our independent journalism as we head into one of the most critical news periods of our time in 2024.

The New American Journal is deeply dedicated to uncovering the escalating threats to our democracy and holding those in power accountable. With a turbulent presidential race and the possibility of an even more extreme Trump presidency on the horizon, the need for independent, credible journalism that emphasizes the importance of the upcoming election for our nation and planet has never been greater.

However, a small group of billionaire owners control a significant portion of the information that reaches the public. We are different. We don’t have a billionaire owner or shareholders. Our journalism is created to serve the public interest, not to generate profit. Unlike much of the U.S. media, which often falls into the trap of false equivalence in the name of neutrality, we strive to highlight the lies of powerful individuals and institutions, showing how misinformation and demagoguery can harm democracy.

Our journalists provide context, investigate, and bring to light the critical stories of our time, from election integrity threats to the worsening climate crisis and complex international conflicts. As a news organization with a strong voice, we offer a unique, outsider perspective that is often missing in American media.

Thanks to our unique reader-supported model, you can access the New American journal without encountering a paywall. This is possible because of readers like you. Your support keeps us independent, free from external influences, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for news.

Please help if you can.

American journalists need your help more than ever as forces amass against the free press and democracy itself. We must not let the crypto-fascists and the AI bots take over.

See the latest GoFundMe campaign here or click on this image.

watchdog medium1a - Hurricane Season Comes Early: Experts Predict More Major Storms This Year

Don't forget to listen to the new song and video.

Just because we are not featured on cable TV news talk shows, or TikTok videos, does not mean we are not getting out there in search engines and social media sites. We consistently get over a million hits a month.

Click to Advertise Here

NAJ 2024 traffic Sept - Hurricane Season Comes Early: Experts Predict More Major Storms This Year