Reaaly Mind Numbingly Slow Atlantic Storms

[Taras Incognito]

I've been 'tracking' Tropical Storm (Now Hurricane) Florence for the past week and it's taken ages for it to get anywhere, or at least it seems to take ages, I might just be really impatient.

The thing is, it's now moving pretty fast and will make more ground in the next three days than it seems to have already done since becoming Tropical Depression Six.

Why is this?!?!?!? Why!!?!?!?!?!?

Storms that are on the Weather over here seem to be in the mid Atlantic one day on the Pressure chart and then before you know it, they're blowing down trees and throwing old women all over the shop.

What was it doing down there that's now not important anymore and now has it speeding around into the Northern Atlantic?

Will Tropical Depression Seven, due to become Tropical Storm Gordon (Brown) later on today (EST) mess around like Florence has?

Who do I complain to about this?

[Calrissian]

Who do I complain to about this?

The Chancellor of course. Everything is the fault of this government, didn't you know?

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Seriously though, yeah, I've always been amazed at how for days, even a week or so, a storm will just wander around, and then almost jump to lightspeed and crash into land. I think I remember correctly that Hurricane Wilma (or was it Rita) last year did that.

oh yeah, Wilma is a good example.

see: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlant...WILMA/track.gif

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I do think this year, we just have to reflect that 2005 may well have been a one-off super special season. A few last year did note that we'd never see anything like it again, and I think its probably true. All those storm freaks - myself included, can justifiably feel depressed for the rest of this year, and the next.

It'll take a few years to truly see 2005 in its full grand historical perspective.

Calrissian: 2006, the summer of dull storms

[Somerset Squall]

The Chancellor of course. Everything is the fault of this government, didn't you know?

----

Seriously though, yeah, I've always been amazed at how for days, even a week or so, a storm will just wander around, and then almost jump to lightspeed and crash into land. I think I remember correctly that Hurricane Wilma (or was it Rita) last year did that.

oh yeah, Wilma is a good example.

see: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlant...WILMA/track.gif

---

I do think this year, we just have to reflect that 2005 may well have been a one-off super special season. A few last year did note that we'd never see anything like it again, and I think its probably true. All those storm freaks - myself included, can justifiably feel depressed for the rest of this year, and the next.

It'll take a few years to truly see 2005 in its full grand historical perspective.

Calrissian: 2006, the summer of dull storms

Indeed Calrissian, but this season is slower than 2004! I'm sure KW or someone could explain why Wilma sped up after being so slow initially.

[crimsone]

In the tropical zone, there are very few fronds, and those there are tend to be quite weak. Up towards the North of the atlantic (and indeed the south), there are far quicker moving masses of air, with greater differentials between them. This results in more fronts and more troughs and ridges that are far far stronger.

In short, it's because of the difference between baro-clinic and barotropic sytems. (I think!)