Tropical Storm Hanna has strengthened in the western Atlantic as of early Friday morning. The tropical storm was centered about 245 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds now of 50 mph.

Hanna is forecast to track northwest into the weekend and become a hurricane by Sunday or Monday. Fortunately, at that point, it will be located well northeast of the Bahamas. It does not appear to be of any threat to land in the near future, but Hanna will need to be closely monitored beyond this weekend and during the majority of next week for possible land impacts.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Basin, a tropical wave was also located a few hundred miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. It remains disorganized now, but will continue to be monitored.

A new tropical wave and area of low pressure has moved off of Africa, south of the Cape Verde Islands. This disturbance appears better organized and will have to be watched for possible development over the next few days.

 

 I was on vacation in an area with no internet connection - or Cable TV even!

In the Atlantic, Hurricane Hanna has maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph. It has become the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Hanna is centered over the southeastern Bahamas.

Hurricane warnings are posted for the central and southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Hanna is nearly stationary but it will slowly turn to the west then northwest some time on Tuesday. This will take it on a course that will move it over the southeastern and central Bahamas during the next few days.

Hanna is expected to produce 8-12 inches of rain over the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. Some places could get up to 20 incheas.

The storm already has begun to churn the ocean waters off the Southeast coast. On Sunday and Monday, numerous rescues by lifeguards were carried out along the beaches of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina all due to the dangerous rip currents. The high rip current threat will last through the week. 

Hanna has finally succumbed to northwesterly shear that has provoked it for more than 24 hours now. Because of the persistent shear, it has temporarily weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph. It was centered over the southeastern Bahamas about 435 miles southeast of Nassau.

Because restrengthening is possible, hurricane warnings are posted for the central and southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Though in a weakened state, the conventional thinking is that the pesky upper level northwesterly winds will finally begin to diminish on Wednesday.

Reorganization and re-intensification of Hanna is anticipated on Wednesday and Thursday however it is difficult to determine at this time how much strength it can attain considering the poor state it is in now.

Hanna has been drifting to the southeast today. A turn to the northwest is expected tonight and its forward speed is forecast to increase.

Very heavy rain has been occurring over Haiti and the southeastern Bahamas because of Hanna. The storm is expected to produce 4-8 inches of rain over the southeastern Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos islands, and far eastern Cuba. Heavy rain, on the order of 10 to as much as 20 inches, will occur over Hispaniola (still recovering from Fay's rains).

The storm already has already churned the ocean waters off the Southeast coast. On Sunday and Monday, numerous rescues by lifeguards were carried out along the beaches of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina all due to the dangerous rip currents. The high rip current threat will last through the week.

Coastal residents of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina should all monitor the track and development of Hanna. By Friday, it may be nearing the Southeast U.S. coast but the projected path and eventual landfall forecast is still fairly uncertain; especially due to the Southeast coast topography.

Residents of the Northeastern U.S. should also pay close attention because of the potential for heavy rain coming from Hanna late in the week or during the weekend.


 

In the Atlantic over the southern Bahamas, Hanna has finally succumbed to northwesterly shear that has provoked it for more than 24 hours now. Because of the persistent shear, it has weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph. It was centered over the southeastern Bahamas about 90 miles southeast of Great Inagua Island.

Because restrengthening is possible, hurricane warnings are posted for the central and southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, with hurricane watches posted for the northwestern Bahamas.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for a portion of the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Though in a weakened state, the conventional thinking is that the pesky upper level northwesterly winds will finally begin to diminish on Wednesday.

Reorganization and reintensification of Hanna is anticipated on Wednesday and Thursday however it is difficult to determine at this time how much strength it can attain considering the poor state it is in now.

A turn to the northwest is expected to begin today, and its forward speed is forecast to increase.

 At 11 a.m. EDT, Hanna was located 225 miles east of Nassau, Bahamas, and is moving northwest at 12 mph. Maximum winds near the center have dropped a bit to 65 mph.

Hanna will continue in this general motion today bringing gusty winds, high seas, and squalls of tropical storm-force winds and wind-swept rain across the Bahamas.

It is still forecast to strengthen but Hanna's appearance is an ugly mess this morning. It has no markings of a classic-looking tropical cyclone. It is a highly disorganized tropical storm and will have a lot to do in a short period of time to organize and strengthen to a hurricane.

Hurricane and tropical storm watches have now been posted for parts of the Southeast U.S. Coast and tropical storm warnings remain posted for the northwestern and central Bahamas today.

Because of Hanna's appearance, it is important to note that one should not focus solely on the center of circulation. In fact, the worst of Hanna may not actually be found close to the center of circulation but rather away from it. Impacts such as tropical storm-force gusts, tropical downpours, and very choppy surf will be felt hundreds of miles away from the center.

That being said, the center of Hanna is projected to make landfall near the coastal South Carolina/North Carolina border or perhaps just east of there very early on Saturday morning.

After landfall, Hanna will quickly spread rain and breezy conditions up the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast on Saturday; impacting several major cities. However, due its rapid forward speed, the storm will not linger. Hanna will be exiting off the New England coast by as early as mid-morning Sunday. Thankfully, rainfall totals will not come anywhere close to what we have seen with Fay or Gustav.

 

At 8 a.m. EDT, Hanna was located 420 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina, and is moving northwest at 18 mph. Maximum winds near the center have remained at 65 mph.

Hanna will continue in this general motion bringing gusty winds, high seas, and squalls of tropical storm-force winds and wind-swept rain across the Bahamas.

It is still forecast to strengthen, but only slightly before it makes landfall.

Hurricane watches are posted for parts of the Southeast U.S. Coast, from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, northward to Currituck Beach Lighthouse, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.

Tropical storm warnings are posted for the northwestern Bahamas, and along the Southeast U.S. Coast between Altamaha Sound, Georgia, northward to Chincoteague, Virginia, including Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.

Tropical storm watches are posted from Chincoteague, Virginia, northward to Sandy Hook, New Jersey; also included is the Chesapeake Bay north of Smith Point, the Tidal Potomac, Washington, D.C., and the Delaware Bay. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.

It is important to note that one should not focus solely on the center of circulation. In fact, the worst of Hanna may not actually be found close to the center of circulation but rather away from it. Impacts such as tropical storm-force gusts, tropical downpours, and very choppy surf will be felt hundreds of miles away from the center.

That being said, the center of Hanna is projected to make landfall near the South Carolina/North Carolina border very early on Saturday morning.

After landfall, Hanna will quickly spread rain and breezy conditions up the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast on Saturday; impacting several major cities. However, due its rapid forward speed, the storm will not linger. Hanna will be exiting off the New England coast by as early as mid-morning Sunday. Thankfully, rainfall totals will not come anywhere close to what we have seen with Fay or Gustav.
 

At around 3:15 a.m. EDT, Hanna made landfall near the South Carolina/North Carolina border producing tropical storm-force winds gusts (occasional hurricane force) with some locations experiencing sustained tropical storm-force winds.

Here is a short list of some notable gusts:
Kure Beach, NC: 77 mph
Wrightsville Beach, NC: 72 mph
North Myrtle Beach, SC: 53 mph
Wilmington, NC: 54 mph
Carolina Beach, NC: 50 mph

After making landfall, Tropical Storm Hanna had now pushed inland and is located near the lower Chesapeake Bay about 55 miles north-northwest of Norfolk, VA.

Hanna's top maximum winds are at 50 miles per hour. Hanna's intensity should not change much during the next 12 to 18 hours however it will lose its tropical characteristics and become extratropical while heading into the Canadian Maritimes

There are watches and warnings in place along the East Coast that stretch along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast.

Hanna is heading to the northeast rapidly at 25 mph and spreading heavy rain and breezy conditions throughout portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. D.C. and Philadelphia have both experienced fairly heavy rain during the late morning and early afternoon hours. New York was able to avoid the heaviest rain but it will be on their doorstep shortly. Boston will receive its heaviest rain later tonight.

Due to its rapid forward speed, the storm will not linger. Hanna will be exiting off the New England coast by as early as mid-morning Sunday.

Thankfully, rainfall totals will not come close to what we have seen with Fay or Gustav. However, flooding has still been a cause for concern. In fact flooding was earlier reported in portions of eastern North Carolina including the Raleigh metro area.

Flood and flash flood watches are posted from Virginia northward to eastern Maine in preparation for rainfall totals of anywhere from 2-5 inches with some local spots picking up more than 6 inches.

Hanna swept over New England, and went Extratropical.

 

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