Quiet Here, But Turbulent Elsewhere

While we enjoy a break from winter with a string of 40 degrees F days this week, some pretty heavy weather action is going on elsewhere.

A deep mid-latitude cyclone is approaching Western Europe today. Central pressure at one time was near 950 mb (about 28.05 inches on the barometer) as the storm center approached the south coast of Ireland. Winds were registering 75 to 85 mph producing sea wave heights of 50 to 60 feet! One might guess that the Brits and the Irish were paying close attention to the shipping forecasts. You can check out the BBC Weather Center coverage of this storm.

In the Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone Kamba was migrating south in the Southern Indian Ocean and intensifying, with wind gusts over 150 mph. Fortunately it was over 700 miles from any landforms (Diego Garcia was to the north) and it was expected to weaken over the next two days as it travels over cooler waters and encounters more vertical wind shear. Nevertheless it was producing sea waves of 35 feet and was to be avoided by any shipping interests. More information can be found at

Joint Typhoon Warning Center Products. (secure site)