Hurricane Bill update – My namesake is now category 4 and getting stronger.

Look out Bermuda, here I come at 135mph.

Folk on the east coast of the US can also expect some serious swells followed by rip currents for a few days.

Bill’s wind sheer is light and the waters are warm – just the right recipe for growing in strength.

For more on Bill see -

Hurricane Bill – Projected Path and Updates

Seems like there are storms all over the Baltimore, MD & Washington DC area. And I don’t mean the ones on the Hill caused by the Obama gang — a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued and we have the details.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning For

• Southeastern Baltimore County in Northern Maryland…
• Eastern Baltimore City in Northern Maryland…
• South Central Harford County in Northern Maryland…

Until 6:15 PM EDT

Locations Impacted Include
Carney, Rossville, Essex, Perry Hall, Back River, White Marsh, Bowleys Quarters, Kingsville, Middle River

These storms will produce heavy rain. Hail the size of pennies and wind gusts to 60 mph can be expected in the warned area. Stay indoors and away from windows until the storm has passed.

Hurricane Bill UPDATE: Now category 4 and getting stronger. (8/19 – 11:25EST)

Hurricane Bill is on the warpath. I love it when they name storms after me. Who wouldn’t?

Facts about the Hurricane Bill projected path

1. Location: 13.8N 44.0W or about 1160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles
2. Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph
3. Moving: West-northwest at about 22 mph
4. Minimum pressure: 987 mb
5. Expected to continue moving west-northwest for the next several days
6. Forecasters said the storm could be a category 3 hurricane as it approaches the Lesser Antilles on August 19 or 20

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A typhoon is pummeling Taiwan causing the worst flooding in 50 years, not to mention hotels fleeing, um, tumbling into the sea.

Emergency supplies are being delivered by bicycle.  How would you like that job?

“Hey Wang! The hotel fell into the sea from the winds. Would you mind taking this food on your bicycle to the residents who are stuck out in the winds and raging sea?”

Morakat means ‘emerald’ in Thai.

It means havoc, craziness, death, missing people in Taiwan right now.

Let’s hope casualties are kept to a minimum.

El Nino is back.

US government scientists are saying that the periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, otherwise known as El Nino, which can affect weather all over the world, is back!

The Pacific was in a neutral state, however, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the sea surface temps are up about 1 degree C above normal. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center also said temperatures in other tropical regions are also above normal. The readings are warmer than usual as much as 975 feet below the ocean surface.

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The Wyoming Sideways Tornado- Tornadoes have always captivated weather enthusiasts because we strive to understand those amazing funnel clouds and the way they form. For researchers and those who have a passion for such things, a bunch of brave guys managed to capture the Wyoming Tornado on video and to take amazing pictures. It’s a pretty wicked tornado that suddenly turned sideways so that you can actually see its “eye”.

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An Air France plane on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, has been reported missing over the Atlantic Ocean, with 228 people on board. Four hours after its scheduled take-off from the Brazilian city, the Airbus 330-200 crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence” at 0200 GMT on Monday and 14 minutes later it sent an automatic message reporting electrical faults.

The Brazilian Air Force has confirmed the missing plane and already started a search and rescue mission from the the island of Fernando de Noronha off Brazil’s northeast coast. While the Brazilian Navy sent three ships to look for the Air France jet.

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Foam Storm in Cape Town, August 2008

— Whoa! Somebody spilled their beer.
— Huh!? Whaddya mean?
— Dude, look at the foam everywhere … on the streets, under the cars, chasing the kids. Serious foam.
— Ah..um..that would be Neptune, I suppose.
— Neptune!?
— Yeah. He gets drunk sometimes, whips up a storm, spills his beer and sends foam all up and down the coastline.
— …?
— Yeah, it happened in Capetown not long ago.
— Whoa, man! Where’s my mug?

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Because of low humidity and high winds forecasts, wildfires on the coastal region of South Carolina have gotten out of control on Thursday and headed for Myrtle Beach (and the state’s biggest tourist destinations) where they destroyed 40 homes and forced more than 2,500 people to evacuate.

Smoke Caused by Myrtle Beach Fires

The governor declared a state of emergency for the county.

So far no injuries have been reported, but with fires gone wild more than 100 firefighters are digging trenches with bulldozers to create firebreaks that will limit the spread. “I seriously doubt we’ll have it contained before the weekend,” says Russell Hubright, spokesman for the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

The worse fire on records when you consider the number of houses that burned— first reports talk about 40 homes, there are also environmental and probably tourism implications. Because by early Thursday morning more than 15,000 acres with dense vegetation have been charred.

I do agree that weather is unpredictable, but isn’t there anything we can do protect from wildfires? Maybe we should start being more responsible … don’t you think?

A tornado that just hit the western Arkansas city of Mena, on Thursday night, caused three deaths, injured 22 and serious damage to more than 100 homes (some of which where there since the Civil War).

After being hit “like a bomb” at around 8.10 in the morning with 100-year-old trees being uprooted from the ground, a curfew is now in effect for the people from Mena who are now waiting for local authorities and the National Guard to deal with ruptured gas lines and downed power lines.

“There were sirens that went off,” Roger Susanin (reporter for KATV) said. “There were some tornado warnings earlier in the night, but it was not supposed to hit ground level. No one really had too much time to shutter their homes.”

Does it mean that the tornado season has arrived and we’ll get to see more and more of these things? Weather is becoming a big factor of our lives …