Australian Severe Weather Forum

Bill Strengthening Over the Atlantic



As of the last couple of hours Hurricane Bill has intensified into a Category 2 Hurricane with sustained winds of 85 knts. Deep convection is occurring around the center of circulation, and it appears that Bill is beginning to develop an eye. Bill also is showing a good cirrus canopy, indicating the storm has the necessary outflow that it needs to grow stronger. The National Hurricane Center is predicting that the storm will continue to strengthen over the next 72 hours, as it continues to interact with warm sea surface temperatures and little wind shear.



Bill is expected to continue turning towards the northwest, possibly just to the west of Bermuda, as it comes under the influence of the Bermuda High. The storm track, as it stands, could mean that cities in the northeastern US like Philadelphia, New York, and Boston could be under the gun. We will keep a very tuned eye on this developing situation.
         

http://www.tornadovideos.net/component/content/article/37-hurricanes/1012-bill-strengthening-over-the-atlantic
         

Bill is currently a cat 3 hurricane and is expected to build into a cat 4 by weeks end with estimated winds exceeding 130 mp/h. He is predicted by US forecasters to be the first major hurricane of 2009.

 Alex Sosnowski from Accuweather states.Computer models agree that Bill will not be a direct hit on the eastern U.S. However, there is still prime concern of a landfall or near-miss of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and perhaps Bermuda.

Any point of land sticking out to the east in the Atlantic has a higher risk of impact with this situation.  

Col

Hurricane Bill now a Category 4



Hurricane Bill has intensified to Category 4 strength, with sustained winds of ~135 MPH!! Not a lot has changed in terms of the track forecast, so as Dave mentioned earlier, cities in the northeast U.S. need to remain alert, even though most of the models are still showing Bill making a hard right after it passes between Bermuda and the U.S. mainland.

This is a great site to keep during the hurricane season.  Go to the top right hand corner once there and click on clouds and then click 'more'  It's very cool.  http://www.stormpulse.com/

Bermuda Feeling Effects of Bill... Nova Scotia Next?

Dangerous Category 2 Bill is currently located to the southwest of Bermuda by a couple hundred miles. The island is under a Tropical Storm Warning and also is posting a Hurricane Watch in the event that Bill edges slightly closer as it passes by. The Bermuda weather service is currently recording gusts up to 50 knts and warning the public of dangerous winds and deadly rip currents.



Meanwhile, the Canadian weather service has been closely monitoring Bill, as it's projected path at this point in time would take it right by Nova Scotia, almost paralleling the coast for a time. Bill would have encountered cooler sea surface temperatures by this point, but it is not unreasonable that areas like Halifax can expect to see tropical storm force winds at least.



http://www.tornadovideos.net/component/content/article/37-hurricanes/1015-bermuda-feeling-effects-of-bill-nova-scotia-next
         

Hurricane Bill proves deadly in Florida and Maine



Hurricane Bill is now a Tropical Storm in the North Atlantic, but it did not exit the North American continent without leaving a tragic mark. As Bill was centered hundreds of miles to the north, a Florida man died on Saturday after swimming in the heavy surf off New Smyrna Beach. Then, at least one person was killed and over a dozen others injured yesterday in Acadia National Park in Maine, where thousands had gathered at the park's Thunder Hole attraction to observe giant waves pounding against the rugged shore. A group of roughly 20 people were overcome by a "rogue" wave, and three people were swept into the water requiring rescue by the U.S. Coastguard. A seven-year-old girl was killed and several others were seriously injured. A wave monitoring gauge at Mount Desert Island recorded seas at 17 feet yesterday, but given that it is 40 miles from the location of the incident there is no official word on the size of the responsible wave. Bill exited the region early this morning, leaving thousands without power in Novia Scotia.

The tropics look to remain mostly quiet for a while. An area of interest currently exists east of the Leeward islands but is very disorganized, so it does not appear likely that this will evolve into a larger system.

http://www.tornadovideos.net/component/content/article/37-hurricanes/1016-hurricane-bill-proves-deadly-in-florida-and-maine
         

I believe the storm is no longer tropical, as of 24 hours ago the satellite imagery was showing significant asymmetry in its structure and appears to have made the transition to cold core....still retains some significant winds though as an ET cyclone.