1. Current Pacific StormsChevron DownHere’s where you can track everything from Lala and Iselle to all the other areas we’re monitoring in the Atlantic and Pacific basins this hurricane season. The map above shows satellite images of the Pacific basin, the current location of tropical systems, and areas we are watching for possible development. Current Pacific Storms Iselle Cone of Forecast Uncertainty Lala Cone of Forecast Uncertainty Tracking Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures Pacific Tracks So Far This Season Get more of our news on Google Set The Weather Company as a ‘Preferred Source’ for faster access to the news you value. Atlantic Tracking Spaghetti Models Wind Shear These are areas of strong wind shear, the difference in wind speed and direction with height, shown in purple. Strong wind shear is hostile to mature tropical cyclones and those attempting to develop. (MORE: What is wind shear?) Dry, dusty air Another enemy of tropical systems is dry air. In hurricane season, plumes of dust-laden air sweep across the basin from the Sahara Desert in Africa, as you can see on the map below. This dry, sinking air stifles the development of thunderstorms, the building blocks of tropical storms and hurricanes. Therefore, the brown shaded areas below are generally unfavorable for development. Sea surface temperatures Atlantic trajectories so far this seasonThese are the trajectories of systems that were at least tropical or subtropical storms, so far in the Atlantic Basin. Seasonal Activity Compared to Average Accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE, is a metric that measures the total energy produced by tropical storms and hurricanes over a given period, taking into account how strong they were and how long they lasted. It’s another measure meteorologists use to gauge how active a hurricane season has been. It lasted. (Data: Phil Klotzbach/CSU)
