JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The second named storm of this year’s hurricane season, Tropical Storm Bill, formed late Monday night far off the North Carolina coast and moved away from the U.S. Atlantic Coast. By Wednesday morning, as the system moved over cooler water near the maritime provinces of Canada, Bill lost its tropical characteristics, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
At 11 p.m. Tuesday, Bill had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it moved rapidly to the northeast, but the National Hurricane Center declared the system post-tropical early Wednesday morning.
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A disturbance the NHC has been monitoring for possible development in the southwest Gulf of Mexico is now given a 90% chance of becoming a named storm within five days. We’ll likely be talking about Tropical Storm Claudette by the weekend.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Interactive map from The Weather Authority
Just as we have seen for more than a decade, the tropics are once again showing their early busy side. Ana developed back on May 22, kicking off the 2021 hurricane season before the “official” start (June 1st) of the season began. This was the seventh season in a row this dubious achievement has taken place.
Last weekend, a non-tropical low pressure had moved over Jacksonville, yep, right over Jacksonville, Florida. It has now moved well out to sea.
This is the same low pressure the National Hurricane Center has been monitoring since early Monday. They declared it the second tropical depression of the season.
You might be wondering about the past track of this system, moving from the United States and then out to sea? And in the month of June? This is unusual, except when water temperatures are well above normal. And once again, Atlantic Ocean water temperatures are, again, well above normal for this time of year.
Water temperatures are more like late July or early August.