06 September 2008

Hanna makes landfall, Ike heading for Cuba, Josephine dissipates...

At about 3am EDT, Hanna made landfall on the SC/NC border as a 60kt (983mb) tropical storm, just under hurricane intensity.
As of 20Z, the center is located near the DelMarVa peninsula and tracking NNE at 21kts.  The radar loop covering landfall can be found at http://einstein.atmos.colostate.edu/~mcnoldy/tropics/hanna08/Hanna_06Sep08.gif

It will now continue N-NE over the east coast, from VA to ME, over the next 24-36 hours, then out to the cold north Atlantic as a potent extratropical cyclone.  Tropical Storm warnings still are in effect from northern NC up through NH.

Attention now shifts to Ike, which as of 15Z, was a 95kt hurricane with a central pressure of 960mb.  It is forecast to intensify as it heads WSW then W, but periodically weaken as well as it passes over Cuba in a couple of days.  Once leaving Cuba, it should head WNW-NW into the central Gulf and up toward the north central Gulf coast.  The northern Gulf coast should be watching this very closely, and be prepared for a significant landfall as early as Friday.

It is located just north of Hispaniola, giving more rain to the already flooded countries of Dominican Republic and Haiti.  Then it will pass over the eastern Bahamas, where Hanna sat for a few days.  You can find the latest infrared satellite image of Ike at http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/latest_image_640.asp?product=tropical_ge_4km_ir4_floater_2

You will find a radar loop from Camaguey, Cuba at http://einstein.atmos.colostate.edu/~mcnoldy/tropics/ike08/Ike_07-08Sep08_cmw.gif

As the time nears, there will also be radar loops available from Casablanca, Cuba, and Key West, FL (Mon-Wed timeframe).  Hurricane Warnings cover the eastern Bahamas, while Hurricane Watches cover the central Bahamas and eastern Cuba.

At 09Z, advisories ceased for Josephine, as vertical shear took its toll on the system.  Regeneration, if at all, would be at least a week away, but very unlikely.

Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.

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