Two Storms, Two Fives

At about 1 AM Eastern Time, Hurricane Felix, which had been a relatively weak storm 24 hours before, was declared a Category 5 hurricane. This is the "rare" designation for the most powerful storms. But this year there have been two named Atlantic hurricanes, and both have reached Category 5.

According to a Reuters report, "Forecasters at the hurricane center said Felix was strengthening at one of the fastest rates seen..." It seems headed towards the Honduras, where the earlier report at Weather Underground warned, it could have catastrophic effects even if it passes within 100 miles of the coast on Monday, if it grows in size as well as intensity. Felix is on track to hit the Yucatan, and depending on interaction with a low pressure center, it could make landfall in Mexico or Texas.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Henrietta in the Pacific could strengthen to hurricane status Monday, forecasters said, threatening Baja California.

These storms are strengthening because of very warm ocean water, likely a product of the Climate Crisis, which is one of the reasons--along with the record of severe storms in the past decade--that some climate scientists believe that global heating is leading to a greater number of the more intense hurricanes.

And last week, NASA issued a study that says global heating will also contribute to more severe weather over land, including more frequent and intense thunderstorms and tornados.

Also this past week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the near-record high temperatures in the U.S. in 2006 were primarily due to greenhouse gases, not El Nino. A British study suggests that flooding will be more severe in the Climate Crisis future than previously predicted.

STORM UPDATE: As of Monday afternoon, Felix has been classified as a Category 4, heading for Honduras. According to the Wunder Blog on Weather Underground, the good news is that while incredibly powerful, Felix has remained small in area, so Honduras may well escape catastrophe, though there will be destructive effects. Also good news: if the storm continues on its predicted track, it will miss highly populated areas in central America and Mexico, and isn't currently headed for Texas. The bad news is the strength of this hurricane. According to Jeff Masters at Wunder Blog, Felix holds the record for the fastest intensification to category 5 strength, and incredibly it was at that strength longer than any lesser strength or classification. If a hurricane this powerful were to hit populated areas directly, the destruction could be unprecedented.

In the Pacific, though Henriette remains a tropical storm, it could bring hurricane conditions to Baja Tuesday.