Hurricane Isaias Strengthens to Category 3 Heading to US
Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane, intensifies to category 3 with 120mph winds, heading for a US Gulf Coast landfall on Friday.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Hurricane Isaias has strengthened into a category three major hurricane in the Atlantic.
- Hurricane hunter aircraft measured sustained wind speeds of 120mph (193km/h) on Friday morning.
- The storm is forecast to bring damaging winds, torrential rain, and storm surges to the US Gulf Coast.
- The Atlantic season has been record-breakingly quiet due to suppression by a growing El Niño pattern.
Hurricane Isaias, marking the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, has continued to intensify rapidly and is now classified as a category three major hurricane, according to reports from BBC Science & Environment.
During Friday morning, specialized hurricane hunter aircraft flew directly into and around the severe storm system. Onboard instruments recorded sustained wind speeds reaching an intense 120 miles per hour, equivalent to approximately 193 kilometers per hour.
Forecasters anticipate that Isaias will deliver destructive winds, heavy downpours, and dangerous storm surges to segments of the US Gulf Coast, with landfall anticipated late Friday. Consequently, official hurricane and storm surge watches have been officially issued for vulnerable areas.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The El Niño climate pattern typically increases vertical wind shear across the Atlantic basin, which creates an unfavorable environment for tropical cyclone formation and development. This suppression explains why the current hurricane season has experienced a record-breaking quiet period prior to this system overcoming those inhibiting factors to reach major hurricane status.
Before this severe weather development, the Atlantic season had maintained a remarkably quiet pace as atmospheric development was heavily suppressed by the expanding El Niño weather pattern affecting regional conditions.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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