WTF - Tropical Storm Grace

[malaise]

This one's heading for Southern England. Damn!!!

[bigwillq]

1. It's odd to see a storm start

all the way up there.

[malaise]

3. Hence my WTF

More here

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/at200909.public.html

[Lex]

2. It'll die over too cool waters.

nt

[malaise]

4. So how did it form in those cool waters? n/t

[Lex]

7. It formed in warmer waters.

Will die in the cooler waters it's heading for.

[malaise]

17. That's not true - 23 degrees C

Tropical Storm Grace formed at 41.2° north latitude, in a remote ocean area near the Azores Islands. This is the farthest northeast an Atlantic tropical storm has ever formed since satellite observations began in the 1960s. Since 1960, only one tropical storm has formed farther north--Tropical Storm Alberto of 1988, which formed at 41.5°N, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Satellite imagery revealed that Grace formed an eyewall and well-defined eye this morning, though the storm's tropical storm-force winds did not extend out very far from the center. Last night, the center of Grace passed about 20 miles west of Ponta Delgada in the eastern Azores, which recorded sustained winds of 31 mph, gusting to 44 mph. Grace formed over chilly waters of about 23°C, well below the usual threshold of 26°C required for tropical storm formation.

From Jeff Masters blog.

[Lex]

28. "Grace is already over much colder waters of 21°C, and is headed towards even colder waters"

-- also from Jeff Masters blog

So, where it formed was in warmer waters than where it is now and where it is headed to die.

[malaise]

29. But 23°C is colder

than 26°C - the previous coldest water TS formation.

[emsimon33]

16. It probably is following the Gulf Stream.

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. Weirdest storm I've ever seen. nt

[Yunomi]

20. So, I saw that movie

and these science guys are all, like, worried about this weird storm this other science guy made, and like, some more storms show up, but nobody believes the good science guy, and he has to stop the bad science guy, and a bunch of stuff gets tore up, it was great! :P

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. I just want to say how much I appreciate you watching for storm activity.

Nine times out of ten your posts are the very first word I have of anything brewing. I live in a coastal area and I have relatives in another.

[malaise]

8. I live on an island

so I'd better watch for storms during hurricane season. We 'coasties' have to watch out for one another :hi:

sp.

[cbayer]

11. Yep! We had a tsunami watch last week and a gale yesterday, and I was noting

how living on or very near the water keeps you so in touch with the weather.

Thanks for posting this really weird hurricane track.

:hi:

[Obamanaut]

9. Max sustained winds are less than when I checked the weather

at 7 this morning. I predict it will fizzle into nothing more than heavy rains at the most, if it makes landfall.

[malaise]

12. Have you ever seen the result of heavy rains

in the South of England? Just add some heavy breeze and this could be one hell of a mess for more than a few people.

[Obamanaut]

22. No, I have not seen the result of heavy rains in the South of England.

I have seen similar results in the Philippines and Guam. I lived on Guam for three years, and passed through PI on a regular basis during the normal typhoon season, and just recently was in the Atlanta area following some serious rain flooding.

In the not too distant past Interstate 10 was closed about 15 miles from my house due to rains.

Yes, I've seen rain. My point was that this tropical storm, which was at or near hurricane strength earlier today, will not be a hurricane or even a TS if it makes landfall. The sky is not falling. The rapture is not imminent. Doomsday is not at our doorstep. It is too soon to panic.

[malaise]

25. Panic - on this thread?

Most of us just find its point of origin weird.

[Obamanaut]

30. Oh?

"This one's heading for Southern England. Damn!!!"

And this was early this morning, several hundred miles from landfall - anywhere.

[malaise]

31. Those of us on the Caribbean or Atlantic coasts

don't expect Tropical Storms to be forming so far north or heading towards England.
Surprise re a weird storm does not make it panic.

[Skip Intro]

10. That thing formed fast. nt

[malaise]

13. Losing steam already - now 60mph according to Dr. Steve Lyons

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1340
<snip>
Surprise! A 70-mph tropical storm popped up seemingly out of nowhere early this morning, in a region of the Atlantic not ordinarily prone to tropical storm formation. Tropical Storm Grace formed at 41.2° north latitude, in a remote ocean area near the Azores Islands. This is the farthest northeast an Atlantic tropical storm has ever formed since satellite observations began in the 1960s. Since 1960, only one tropical storm has formed farther north--Tropical Storm Alberto of 1988, which formed at 41.5°N, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Satellite imagery revealed that Grace formed an eyewall and well-defined eye this morning, though the storm's tropical storm-force winds did not extend out very far from the center. Last night, the center of Grace passed about 20 miles west of Ponta Delgada in the eastern Azores, which recorded sustained winds of 31 mph, gusting to 44 mph. Grace formed over chilly waters of about 23°C, well below the usual threshold of 26°C required for tropical storm formation. Grace's formation was aided by some very cold temperatures in the upper atmosphere (-54°C at 200 mb), which made the atmosphere more unstable than usual. The storm won't be around much longer, as Grace is already over much colder waters of 21°C, and is headed towards even colder waters.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. This is not the first weird storm track, either.

I live around the Gulf Coast area, watch the weather closely, esp. during Hurricane season.
And have seem several storms appear on the weather maps literally overnight.
From ZERO to Tropical Storm, not the usual procedure from " depression" to "storm".
They have gone from nothing showing at all to BOOM...a full blown Storm.
And...vice versa.
A couple of storms have simply vanished over night from the weather maps.
Folks around here are calling this very abnormal.

Wonder if all that talk about Weather modification has some basis...hmmmmmm.

[malaise]

15. It is weird because it formed so far North

Read Jeff Masters blog.

Since 1960, only one tropical storm has formed farther north--Tropical Storm Alberto of 1988, which formed at 41.5°N, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
add.

[Ex Lurker]

18. unusual, but not unheard of

the remnants of a tropical storm it spain 2-3 years ago.

[Uncle Joe]

19. I suspect we will see an increase in the number of storms arising in non-traditional locations

Thanks for the thread, malaise.

[malaise]

24. Hi Uncle Joe

Long time no see :hi:

[Uncle Joe]

26. It's good to see you as well, malaise.

Peace to you, :hi:

[malaise]

27. Back at you Uncle Joe

:grouphug:

[ddeclue]

21. Wierd but no biggie.

They actually have the levees in the Netherlands and on the Thames to handle the storms and they get worse winter gales all the time there.

[Nye Bevan]

23. Definitely a potential "Doctor Who" plotline here. (nt)