Storm season’s getting off to an early start with Arlene spawning south of Cuba yesterday. Forecast track has it going north into the Gulf of Mexico, so not much of a bother for here (so far). Rainy weekend for people in AL/MS though.
Definitely need to start getting things prepared for the storm season.
The Boards
All across the country, 4th year radiology residents are cramming and doing their last minute reviews for the ABR board exams coming up next week. And then after that they will come back, work a couple more weeks, pack up their stuff (if they haven’t already) and head off to whatever places they have lined up jobs or fellowships at. And July 1, a new class of residents starts. Wash, rinse and epeat 12 months later.
This year I’m seeing my 5th class of residents head off from here to start off their careers.
Good luck residents. I hope you remember at least some of the physics I’ve been trying to teach you over the past few years!
A very blustery day
So apparently there were a few tornado touch downs yesterday. Naturally we missed all the excitement because we were on the road driving back from the in-laws. According to the news reports I saw yesterday, one of the touch-downs was almost on top of where we used to live, and another one was only a couple of kilometers from where we are now. Scary, although I didn’t see a lot of damage or debris scattered about. Probably just not looking in the right areas.
Whoosh!
Hurricane Season 2005
NOAA‘s 2005 hurricane forecast is out and it looks like it’s going to be another busy season this year.
This year’s storm names: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katrina, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rita, Stan, Tammy, Vince, Wilma
Some of the highlights:
For the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season the ACE index is expected to be in the range of 120%-190% of the median. The outlook also calls for 12-15 tropical storms, with 7-9 becoming hurricanes, and 3-5 of these becoming major hurricanes [categories 3-4-5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale]. While it is reasonable to expect this range of tropical storms and hurricanes, the total seasonal activity measured by the ACE index can certainly be in the predicted range without all three of these criteria being met.
Over the North Atlantic, key aspects of the multi-decadal signal expected during the 2005 hurricane season include 1) lower surface air pressure, warmer SSTs, and increased moisture across the central and eastern tropical Atlantic, 2) an amplified subtropical ridge at upper levels across the central and eastern North Atlantic, 3) reduced vertical wind shear in the deep tropics over the central North Atlantic, which results from an expanded area of easterly winds in the upper atmosphere (green arrows) and weaker easterly trade winds in the lower atmosphere (dark blue arrows), and 4) a configuration of the African easterly jet (wavy light blue arrow) that favors hurricane development from tropical disturbances moving westward from the African coast.
Based on the most recent ENSO outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, ENSO-neutral conditions are expected in the tropical Pacific through at least the first half of the hurricane season. Therefore, the ENSO phenomenon is not expected to impact this hurricane season.
Make sure you’re ready for the season!
Ribbit…POP!
Oh, this is just gross…
One can’t help but have this morbid fascination about what it looks like though.
More than 1,000 toads have puffed up and exploded in a Hamburg pond in recent weeks, and scientists still have no explanation for what’s causing the combustion, an official said Wednesday.