The Bermuda High steers hurricanes.
The Bermuda High—it is as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle.
In summer, it can steer tropical heat into the eastern and southern US. During the Atlantic Hurricane Season, it determines whether a tropical storm visits a Florida political convention or goes for the gumbo near New Orleans. It shapes American weather and, unfortunately, it can be very unpredictable.
Look at the blank area in the satellite picture of the stormy Atlantic. That’s the Bermuda High. It is an area of high atmospheric pressure that drifts through the Atlantic. It is one of several high-pressure areas around 30˚N.
- The air from storms near the equator rises very high and eventually falls back down to earth around 30°North and 30°South.
- This sinking air pushes against the surface creating a high-pressure zone in the atmosphere.
Click to expand image. Credit: National Hurricane Center.
- The winds spin around this high area in a clockwise fashion. (Notice the clouds circling the High.) Storms caught up in these winds are steered to different areas. They stay away from the high pressure.
Think of a high-pressure area as a pinball machine flipper. As the flipper spins around, it steers the pinball. The winds around the Bermuda High steer tropical cyclones towards the west and then northwest. If the high is further out in the Atlantic, the odds are that the cyclones will curve and go out to sea. If the high is further west, there is a good chance that the cyclones can impact the East or Gulf Coasts of the United States.
The problem is the Bermuda High moves. We still are not good at predicting exactly where it will be and how fast it will move. Last week it shifted west and a bit south of its normal position. (It was in the same place as it was in 2004, when Florida got hit by so many hurricanes!) It steered Isaac through the Caribbean islands and up toward Florida.
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Last week the high shifted south and west and began steering Isaac towards Florida. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Images Lab
Whoops! The Bermuda High shifted east, just far enough away that it no longer controlled Isaac. Isaac turned, kept going north and never turned northeast. Meteorologists watched a front plunge south, but it was too slow to affect the tropical storm. As I write this, Isaac is sailing north heading toward the Mississippi coast.
The Bermuda High shapes our weather, steering heat and storms into the US and Canada. Unfortunately, its movements are still unpredictable, in their own way as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle.
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How can I track where the Bermuda High is at any point in time? You indicate on this webpage that we can look at satellite pictures, but is there a website that then outlines it (spoon feeds it to) us? Thanks!
yes that does help and i had to do a report on this for school i thank you every much and it gives me much more research to do on this subject i live in kentucky so i never really had to worry about
I think its great how everybody in this country can all come together and help eachother in terms of extreme weather. For the hurricanes that struck the gulf, well everybody could understand. Money and financial aid has been sent to the states that were hit by Isaac or any hurricane. We all have our fair share of extreme weather. Back in June when we had that terrible windstorm we were helped out. We were declared state of emergency because of the damage, lack of power and extreme heat. No matter what happens.. whether its a tornado, hurricane, blizzard, or any weather disaster; were all here for eachother. I like to think of it that way. This summer has been so hot that we could ALL have some type of empathy. I think everybody has had extreme heat at some point this summer. I mean were not alone becuase we have all 50 states there with us!
what was the worst hurricane of all time and how if you dont mind me asking
Hi, Johnny, It depends on how you define worst: costliest, deadliest, or most extreme? According to NOAA, between 1851 and 2010: "Hurricane Katrina of 2005 was responsible for at least $108 billion of property damage and is by far the costliest hurricane to ever strike the United States. In terms of human deaths, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was responsible for at least 8000 deaths and remains first on that list. In terms of extreme weather, Hurricane Katrina had the third lowest pressure ever noted at landfall, behind the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane and Hurricane Camille in 1969." Hope this helps. --The OFA Editors
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