How Hurricane Humberto Is Pulling Tropical Storm Imelda Away from the U.S.

How Hurricane Hamberto pulls out the tropical storm of Imeld away from the United States

In the version of the Fujiwhare effect, the Hurricane Hamberto pulls the Tropical Storm Imeld to the east and far from the United States

The south -east of the United States will most likely avoid the worst effects of the Tropical storm of Imelda – all thanks to another tropical cyclone.

Imelda and Hurricane Hamberto For several days they made their way over the North -East Caribbean, between Bhagams and Bermuda Islands. Last Friday, the forecasts were extremely uncertained along the way of Namelda and future power: the possibilities ranged from the storm going to the ground in the Carolins, which would bring pouring rain and floods before he was stuck in the United States, the latter now looks like a probable script. This is because Namelda plunged into her development, while Humberto quickly exploded into a large hurricane, which influenced how much they “feel” each other – in fact, the aroma of what is called Fujivara EffectThe field (the eastern coast will still feel Break the currents Nevertheless, from Imelda, and the storm can pose a threat to the Bermuda Islands, since in the coming days it will take a sharp turn to the east.)

READ MORE: Hurricane science has a lot of jargon – this is what everything means


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A higher than usually the level of predicted uncertainty can be partially explained by the fact that storms in the Atlantic are usually not formed so close to each other. The tropical cyclones are affected by a larger atmospheric environment, and the addition of another storm system makes this environment more complicated. Meteorologists are also unclear where exactly the Imelda center is formed, which made it difficult to understand how this center will interact with other functions in the atmosphere.

To understand the atmospheric picture last Friday, it is useful to remember that the atmosphere is three -dimensional, with various areas with low or high pressure or wind currents at various heights. In this case, in the atmosphere above the southeast there was a low-pressure area, a high pressure area, which is a quasi-which is centered compared to Bermuda, and two Huterto storms and what becomes Imelda, then called a potential tropical cyclone nine. It was not clear whether it was Nicheld to form quickly and in the right place so that it interacts with this low level of the upper level, which would push it to the north and to the land of the United States. “Hurricanes are regulated by the surrounding wind stream, and faster [the storm] It becomes stronger, the more winds in the atmosphere affect it, ”says Alan Gerard, a retirement meteorologist of the National Weather Service, which runs a consulting company Balanced weatherField

But Namelda was very slow to become organized in a full tropical storm, so she slowly made his way to the north, leaving it in an ideal place to feel the attraction of Gumberto. “In fact, what is happening: you have [westerly] The winds around Gumberto made of cyclone, and Imelda just gets into it and follows it behind, ”says Gerard.*

This is a form of Fujivar’s effect, says Maimi University researcher Maami Brian McNoldi. In 1921, the Japanese meteorologist Sakuhe Fujiuer suggested that two vortices rotating through the liquid (what exactly what tropical cyclones are) can come closer to each other to begin to rotate the overall central point. If such storms are approaching even closer, they can ultimately merge into one thing that happened to Hurricanes Hilary and Irwin in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean in 2017.

READ MORE: How to decipher the forecast of a hurricane

IMELDA and Humberto are not close enough to happen, but the Fujiwhara effect can take other forms as soon as the distance between two storms is within 800 miles, and everyone can “feel” the other, says Macnoldi. “The centers of IVELDA and Hamberto are now only 600 miles from each other, and their external circulations are already communicating,” Maknoldi wrote in an electronic letter so that Scientific AmericanThe field “Forecasts of the model unite them in the next couple of days.”

Humberto weakens the quasi-standing ridge above the Bermuda Islands and opens the way to pull Imelda behind him. In fact, “Imelda is covered by the result of Gumberto,” says Gerard.

Although this reduces risks for the United States, interaction may mean that Imelda will offer a large direct threat to the Bermuda islands than the will of Gumberto; The latter will pass several hundred miles north of the island.

*Note by the editor (09/29/25): This proposal was edited after the publication to correct Alan Gerard’s comment on the western winds around Gumberto.

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