NewsWhore
06-01-2007, 04:00 PM
Hurricane season in the Caribbean starts today, 1 June, with August-October being the peak months. The recent heavy rains appear to be just a taster for what is set to be a busy hurricane season in the Caribbean. The current projection is for an above normal hurricane season, with 13 to 17 tropical storms headed our way this year with the possibility of 7 to 10 progressing to full fledged hurricanes.
However, Gerry Bell of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says there are a couple of unknowns that could affect the overall picture. One of them is "La Nina" which is a cooling of oceanic currents close to the American continents and the other is "El Nino" where the opposite is true. La Nina comes once every two to seven years and brings increased rainfall to normally drier places. It also brings above average normal hurricanes. According to Bell, La Nina could form in one to three months, but there is some doubt if it will form at all. If it does form, cooling the equatorial oceanic currents, a much higher than normal storm season is expected. But Bell warned that even if La Nina does not develop, the conditions associated with the ongoing active hurricane era still favor an above-normal season.
Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Office (ONAMET) has assured the public that it has both the technological and human resources to handle the upcoming storm season. ONAMET director Gloria Ceballos says that Doppler rating systems are in place at Punta Cana International Airport and that systems are in place for the season. The government will also receive support from storm-chasing airplanes provided by the United States, which the Dominican government has expedited clearance for these to fly over Dominican airspace. The storm season ends on 30 November.
For background on hurricanes in the DR, see http://www.dr1.com/weather/hurricanes.shtml
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
However, Gerry Bell of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says there are a couple of unknowns that could affect the overall picture. One of them is "La Nina" which is a cooling of oceanic currents close to the American continents and the other is "El Nino" where the opposite is true. La Nina comes once every two to seven years and brings increased rainfall to normally drier places. It also brings above average normal hurricanes. According to Bell, La Nina could form in one to three months, but there is some doubt if it will form at all. If it does form, cooling the equatorial oceanic currents, a much higher than normal storm season is expected. But Bell warned that even if La Nina does not develop, the conditions associated with the ongoing active hurricane era still favor an above-normal season.
Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Office (ONAMET) has assured the public that it has both the technological and human resources to handle the upcoming storm season. ONAMET director Gloria Ceballos says that Doppler rating systems are in place at Punta Cana International Airport and that systems are in place for the season. The government will also receive support from storm-chasing airplanes provided by the United States, which the Dominican government has expedited clearance for these to fly over Dominican airspace. The storm season ends on 30 November.
For background on hurricanes in the DR, see http://www.dr1.com/weather/hurricanes.shtml
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)