Map: Hurricane Kirk’s path live

Kirk was a Category 1 hurricane in the North Atlantic on Wednesday afternoon, he announced in his latest report. warning National Hurricane Center.

Cyclone Kirk had sustained winds of 145 kilometers per hour.

Where is it going to rain?

A second serious hazard from hurricanes is flash flooding, which can occur both inland and far from the storm’s center. Even weak storms can produce heavy rainfall that can flood low-lying areas.

Kirk will be the 11th tropical storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024.

As of late May, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there will be between 17 and 25 named tropical cyclones this year, far above normal.

What does a hurricane look like from above?

Satellite images can help determine the strength, size and coordination of tropical cyclones. The stronger a hurricane becomes, the more likely it is to develop an eye in the center. When the eye is symmetrical, it usually means the hurricane hasn’t encountered anything to weaken it.

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office

This season follows a more active year, with 20 named tropical cyclones, including the initial storm that was later given the official name “Unnamed.” This is the eighth consecutive year that the average of 14 named hurricanes has been exceeded. Only one hurricane, Italia, made landfall in the United States.

In general, last season’s El Niño pattern suppressed hurricanes and reduced the number of tropical cyclones in a season. However, in 2023, warmer Atlantic Ocean temperatures mitigated the usual effect that El Niño has on hurricanes.

Warm ocean temperatures that intensified during last year’s hurricane season returned even warmer early this season, boosting forecasters’ confidence that there will be more tropical cyclones this year. Rising sea surface temperatures may strengthen hurricanes faster than usual.

To make matters worse, last year’s El Niño pattern is also waning, which will create more favorable conditions for tropical cyclones to form and intensify.

Hurricanes need a calm environment to develop, and in the Atlantic, a strong El Niño increases the change in wind speed and/or direction with height – disrupting the ability of a hurricane to form. In the absence of El Nino this year, the clouds are more likely to rise to the great heights needed to support powerful hurricanes.