Earl Should be Named

As I enter my 5^th month of retirement, I must confess I miss picking out the fine details on various satellite loops to show my viewers what is going on.    This afternoon’s visible loop clearly shows a surface circulation, but NHC was holding off on naming Earl until the Hurricane Hunters from Keesler confirmed that.  Unfortunately, plane troubles turned the flight back before it could sample any data….so NHC probably will delay naming it despite the European Model  forecasting it to be a storm.    Never fear here as David Bernard clearly showed why the system can’t turn towards the northern Gulf.   The IR satellite loop also shows the upper spreading out of higher clouds meaning the “Flue” is open on this atmospheric chimney.    Jamaica & the Cayman Islands will receive heavy squalls overnight into Tuesday with the storm  heading on a path that will take it into the Yucatan by Thursday.  Again, it will not be our problem.

 

NWS sent out the climate data for July confirming what we already knew.,,it’s been hot!    In fact, July 2016 shattered the previous hottest July (1980).  It’s not that we broke many records, but 17 of the 31 nights (55%) stayed above 80 degrees.  As more and more green space becomes houses, roads, parking lots etc., man truly is changing the climate through urbanization.   The good news?   Golf balls travel farther during hot & humid weather.  Fore!