Tammy continues to strengthen. Hurricane Otis makes landfall near Acapulco as Cat 5 storm
Hurricane Tammy continues to strengthen, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
Tammy currently is the only tropical disturbance appearing on the Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map for the Atlantic basin.
Maximum sustained winds for Hurricane Tammy have increased to 105 mph, making it a Category 2 storm. Additional strengthening is possible today before the hurricane weakens later this week.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Otis intensified rapidly into a powerful Category 5 storm before making landfall last night near Acapulco, Mexico, with 165-mph winds.
The 24-hour rapid intensification of #Otis is in rare air.
Otis (2023; EP): 95 kts -- Prelim
Ambali (2020: SI): 100 kts
Hagibis (2019; WP): 100 kts
Ernie (2017; SI): 95 kts
Patricia (2015; EP): 105 kts
Wilma (2005; NA): 95 kts
Karen (1962; WP): 100 kts
Vera (1959; WP): 105 kts pic.twitter.com/rJ080Uc7Sj— Steve Bowen (@SteveBowenWx) October 25, 2023
Otis grew from a tropical storm with 50-mph winds at 4 p.m. Central time Monday to a Category 5 hurricane with 165-mph winds by 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to AccuWeather.
Rapid intensification: Scientist says rapidly intensifying hurricanes 'particularly concerning' for coastal communities
By 11 a.m. Wednesday, Otis continued to weaken, with winds dropping to 80 mph, making it a Category 1 storm.
As it continues to move inland, Otis was bringing "extremely destructive winds" over southern Mexico and could drop up to 20 inches of rain to some areas. Life-threatening storm surge was expected to continue along the coast of southern Mexico Wednesday morning.
Back in the Atlantic basin, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said while Tammy poses no direct threat to Florida over the next five days, ocean swells and breezy winds can be expected through the rest of the week across the East Coast due to high pressure along the U.S. East Coast and Tammy.
The combination of a system of high pressure and Hurricane Tammy "will support a large area of strong to near-gale force northeast winds and very rough seas of 12 to 17 feet" from the east coast of Florida east to longitude 60W through Friday, according to the Hurricane Center.
On Tuesday, Tammy had been a hurricane for four days, which is the most hurricane days by an Atlantic storm named after Oct. 17 since Epsilon in 2020 and the 10th most in the satellite era, which began in 1966, according to Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State University meteorologist specializing in Atlantic basin hurricane forecasts.
Where will Hurricane Tammy go next?
Tammy has traveled more than 1,000 miles since it developed Oct. 18, brushing the Leeward Islands before turning toward the north.
Where it will go next isn't entirely clear, according to AccuWeather forecasters.
"Once you get to Thursday, there is a wide range of possibilities of where Tammy could go," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead Hurricane Forecaster Dan Kottlowski said.
Bermuda is expected to get some downpours, gusty winds and rough surf later this week and into the weekend as the storm passes by.
Two names left on 2023 Atlantic hurricane list
Two names remain on the 2023 list of storms: Vince and Whitney. Hurricane season doesn't end until Nov. 30, although storms can and do form any time.
Powerful hurricanes: Scientist: rapidly intensifying hurricanes 'particularly concerning' for coastal communities
This season has been above the historical average when it comes to named storms. During an average hurricane season, 14 named storms form in the Atlantic basin, which covers the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
There have been 19 named storms so far in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, along with a 20th unnamed storm that developed in January.
Tammy no threat to US: Tammy is born and storm season odds shift in our favor; but a spooky pattern may emerge
Here's the latest update from the NHC as of 11 a.m.:
Hurricane Tammy: Forecast path
Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Location: 515 miles southeast of Bermuda; 1,303 miles east of Daytona Beach
Maximum sustained winds: 105 mph
Movement: northeast at 13 mph
At 11 a.m., the center of Hurricane Tammy was located near latitude 26.6 North, longitude 59.3 West. Tammy is moving toward the northeast near 13 mph. A northward turn is expected later today, followed by a slower northwestward to west-northwestward motion on Thursday and Friday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph, with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is expected for the next few days. Tammy is forecast to become a powerful post-tropical cyclone by Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 965 mb.
No watches or warnings are in effect in connection with Tammy at this time.
Spaghetti models for Hurricane Tammy
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
What to know about spaghetti models: Where is Tropical Storm Tammy heading? This controversial graphic has answers.
Who is likely to be impacted by Hurricane Tammy?
Tammy poses no direct threat to Florida over the next five days, at least. However, ocean swells and breezy winds can be expected through the rest of the week across the East Coast due to high pressure along the U.S. East Coast and distant Tammy, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Elsewhere, the forecast calls for:
Surf: Swells generated by Tammy will continue to affect portions of Bermuda, the northern Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared.
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
Tropical forecast over the next seven days
Excessive rainfall forecast
What's out there?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center.
Noaa
Embedded content: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/xgtwo/two_atl_0d0.png?052051
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NHC tracking Hurricane Tammy, Otis. Landfall Category 5 storm Mexico
