It’s that time of year again when forecasts focus on the hurricane season. And this year, there’s something unusual and potentially concerning happening. Forecasters are keeping a close eye on not one, but two tropical systems that could develop into hurricanes, which is highly unusual for June.
The National Hurricane Center is predicting that the first system will become Hurricane Bret, and it could potentially hit the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean within several days. The second system, which is about 750 miles behind the first, is also showing signs of organization and has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone.
The appearance of these two systems in June is rare, and it’s likely due to the abnormally warm waters in the region. The strip of ocean referred to as the Main Development Region has posted record-warm temperatures for mid-June. According to hurricane expert Michael Lowry, this is an “undeniably big player” in this year’s hurricane season.
Typically, tropical systems in this portion of the Atlantic basin don’t show up until August or September, with June accounting for only about 6% of all storms. While it’s not unheard of to have a tropical storm in June, having two storms at the same time is unprecedented for the region.
Should the distance between the two systems close to about 500 miles, there’s a possibility that they could merge, with one system absorbing the other. This would be quite a sight to see, but it’s not something we want to experience.
So, what does this mean for those of us living in hurricane-prone areas? It’s time to prepare early. Have your hurricane plan in place, and don’t wait until the last minute to stock up on supplies. We don’t want to be caught off guard if these two systems develop into hurricanes and head our way.
In the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed that these two systems fizzle out and don’t cause any harm. But just in case, let’s be ready.
References
- https://twitter.com/MikeFischerWx/status/1668332957839523840
- https://t.co/L0CmsUNriY
- https://twitter.com/MichaelRLowry/status/1669367789730013194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
- https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/brewing-tropical-rainstorm-sailing-westward-across-the-atlantic/1543896
- https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2023-06-19-tropical-depression-three-tropical-storm-bret-east-atlantic
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/06/19/tropical-depression-june-hurricane-bret-possible/70335285007/
