The Atlantic Hurricane Season has been quiet.
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Hurricane experts saw how hot the Atlantic Ocean was and predicted a busy season.
So far, they have been wrong.
It is time to say “Thank You!”, to the Sahara Desert and its dust.
Saharan dust storms are hurricane killers!
Click to enlarge picture of a hurricane killer. Dust from the Sahara Desert pours across the Atlantic. Source: NOAA
Basically, creating a hurricane is a simple equation:
1 thunderstorm
+ heat (from warm ocean waters)
+ favorable high altitude winds (The winds must be blowing correctly or they will sheer off the top of the storm.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
A hurricane
Click to enlarge picture of Tropical Storm Dorian which was sucked dry by Saharan dust on July 27. Source: NOAA
Sahara dust storms mess with the high altitude winds. The giant desert generates strong storms that can tower two to three miles high. Strong trade winds can carry floating dust for thousands of miles. The red dust soaks up moisture and finally rains out as far away as Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean Islands and Florida. (Floridians – if you see a layer of red dust at the bottom of a bucket after a rain – that’s probably from the Sahara).
These dusty rains are spectacular – in parts of Southern Europe they are so red that they are called blood rains. It carries valuable iron and nutrients to the Brazilian jungles. Cuba has discovered it carries bacteria and causes pediatric asthma. Here in the US, it can give our Gulf States colorful sunsets.
When it is absorbing the moisture, it dries out the high ocean air masses. Any Atlantic storm trying to develop into a hurricane dries up whenever it reaches the high-flying desert air. We have already watched Tropical Storm Dorian sucked dry before it could hit Florida.
Source: Browning Newsletter, © Evelyn Browning Garriss
The dry airs and winds have forced NOAA to cut down their forecasts for this year’s hurricane season. When they saw how hot the Atlantic was, they had predicted a crazy season. Now they just expect it to be busier than normal.
If you live on the Gulf Coast or near a beach in the East, this is good news. You can thank the Sahara Desert and its sparkling red dust.
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I live in Houston Texas area .do you think we will get a Hurricane here this season..Bless God i hear thunder outside right now.im glad cause its been hot today..I Love rain .
No one is good enough to do long range forecasts as specific as hurricanes hitting cities. However, the many scientists are seeing weaker trade winds over the next few weeks, which allows more tropical Gulf moisture to enter Texas and the Western Gulf, rather than Mexico and Central America. It sounds like some of that moisture is rumbling outside your neighborhood.
The northern Jetstream has had a rather winter like pattern for the Great Lakes this summer. We did get some rain in the UP of Michigan. We are about an inch above normal.
I remember prior times when the Jetstream is this far south if there were hurricanes, they seemed to stay offshore and out of the Gulf.
That does sometimes happen. It sure would be great if it happened this year.
living in michigan they weatherman always seems to have a hard time predicting the forecast very far ahead. we in the "thumb" are seem to be in a drought compared to the detroit area or parts further north. it seems every weather pattern splits and goes north or south of us. Ponds and water table are low here compared to other parts. no weather experts ever talk about the reason for the splitting of the energy so to speak for our area. i doubt elevation has anything to do with it since this area is basically flat. any thoughts?
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