Tag: Caribbean Islands

Weather 360, Four Years On

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Four years ago, in September of 2014, Weather 360 was first launched with one goal: To provide local and accurate weather forecasts. Since then, Weather 360 has served tens of thousands of people from dozens of countries around the world as it has expanded coverage from the 20 million people who live in the New York City Tri-State Area, to the entire Tropical Atlantic during Hurricane Season, and occasionally beyond.

Currently, after spending several seasons working on new methods of refining forecasting methods, Weather 360 is pleased to announce that its own systematic and statistical approach to weather forecasting – derived from data collected and analyzed in the New York City area – will be employed this winter to help facilitate the creation of our own forecasts. Formed from a variety of sources – whether it be from real-time data, shorter-range mesoscale computer models, or longer-range global computer models – the methods Weather 360 continues to expand upon to create and provide weather forecasts has only improved.

Weather 360 has also undergone many changes since it first came into existence: Beginning with launching a Facebook page nearly two years ago, reformatting its – well – format, and working on a YouTube channel that will effectively deliver information that cannot always be so easily delivered via text. Furthermore, to celebrate its fourth anniversary, Weather 360, in an effort to extend its ability to give weather-related information and advice to more people, has begun providing certain services in French and English for those who reside in French-speaking regions of The Caribbean, Canada, and The United States.

Once again, Weather 360 would like to thank all of its visitors for relying on us to provide their weather.

Thank you and stay safe!

Announcement of Services in French/Annonce de Services en Français

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Announcement of Services in French

Welcome to Weather 360. As of now, as we approach our fourth anniversary, Weather 360 will be providing information in French, as well as in English, to French-speaking regions of the Caribbean and Canada when there are meteorological threats to the indicated regions (below). After recent hurricanes in the Caribbean, we noticed that there were many people from these French-speaking regions who used Weather 360 for information, more people than used us in the entire previous month. Therefore, it is with pleasure that we announce the start of services in French. Thank you for using Weather 360 and stay safe!

Annonce de Services en Français

Bienvenue à Weather 360. Désormais, comme nous approchons notre quatrième anniversaire, Weather 360 rassurera des infos en français et en anglais aux régions francophones du Caraïbe et du Canada quand il y a des menaces méterologiques aux régions indiquées. Après des ouragans récents au Caraïbe, nous avons noté qu’il y avait beaucoup de personnes de ces régions francophones qui ont utilisé Weather 360 pour des infos, plus de personnes qui nous ont utilisés pour le mois antérieur entier. Donc, c’est avec plaisir que nous annonçons la commence des services en français. Merci d’utiliser Weather 360 et restez en sécurité!

Caribbean Languages

Canadian Languages

Description Français : Carte montrant les langues parlées dans les différentes régions du Canada.

English: Map of Canada showing the language spoken in different regions of the country.
Caption English/Anglais (1)

English and French/ Anglais et Français (2)

French/Français (3)

Image Sources/Les Sources d’Images: Wikipedia/Wikipédia

Tonight crucial in any future development of Tropical Storm Erika

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As of 5:30 PM EDT/AST

With the newest NHC track and intensity update of Tropical Storm Erika rolling out, it is time to really stop and think, what is the single most important factor in Erika’s development, what is most crucial in the short term?  The answer is for the most part clear, and cloudy, but it is Hispaniola at the moment…

Hispaniola and the Storm Shredder’s

Sounds like a band, right?  Anyways, the mountains spread across central and southern portions of the two-nation island do inhibit development of tropical cyclones by ripping to shreds their center of circulation in the lower levels.  The mountains of Hispaniola are anywhere between 6,000 and 10,000 feet, tall enough to disrupt the centers and  other clouds at the lower levels.  So really it all comes down to the mountains over the next 12 to 18 hours, and if Erika is strong enough to at the least reemerge after its encounter with the land masses.

Official Alerts:

Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the entire length of the coasts of The Dominican Republic and Haiti, along with The Turks and Caicos along with most of The Bahamas.

Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for northeastern parts of Cuba and for locations in the northwestern portions of The Bahamas.

Weather 360 will continue to monitor the progress of Erika over the next several days.

Tropical Storm Erika bears down on Caribbean, and may hit the East Coast soon

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As of 7:00 AM EDT/AST

Tropical Storm Erika now has winds sustained at 45 knots (50 MPH), and a pressure of about 1003 millibars.  The storm will likely continue to west-northwestward track at about 15 mph and impact Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, parts of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, and The Bahamas over the next few days.

Let’s Talk Track

Overnight, the main computer models along with many spaghetti models seem to have locked in on their track for Tropical Storm Erika, the newest main track calls for a turn to the north, as expected, while over the Bahamas, leaving most of the state of Florida likely in the clear.  Over the next few days, Tropical Storm Erika will ride over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, skim northeastern parts of Hispaniola, do a direct hit on the Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas, and skim the Eastern Florida coastline.

The Computer Models, What’s New?

As said before, the spaghetti models along with all the global computer models have seemed to lock in their newest projection for Erika’s track to at least parts of the East Coast, but what about intensity?  Of course, along with track, the intensity must change as well, and believe us when we say change.  One may not think the following change is any more than moderately significant, but in truth, even a difference of about 10 MPH in wind speed can mean the difference between little and major damage.  At the same time yesterday, the spaghetti intensity models where still all over the place, but as of last night,  more and more computer models became more grouped together, leaving us with two main possibilities, either this storm will strengthen rapidly over the Bahamas, or Erika will strengthen over the next several days slowly.  Both of these possibilities do say there would be a hurricane either of above Category Three status, or mid-grade Category One status in about 5 days.

Most Global Computer Models such as the GFS and the ECMWF, will became a bit more infrequently used in the immediate track, meaning that over the next few days, the shorter range and more accurate computer models will be given a bigger shot at Tropical Storm Erika.

Official Alerts:  Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the northern Leeward Islands, The Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.  Tropical Storm Watches remain in effect for southern parts of the Leeward Islands, northern portions of the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, and the southern parts of the Bahamas.

Weather 360 3.A.S.:  Level I Emergency for locations under Tropical Storm Warnings,  Level II Alert for locations under Tropical Storm Watches, and a  Level III, be aware statement, for locations from Miami to The Outer Banks along with the entirety of the Eastern Seaboard.

Weather 360 will continue to keep you updated on the progress of Tropical Storm Erika, stay safe!

Tropical Storm Erika takes aim on Caribbean Islands, but then what?

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As of 7:00 AM EDT/AST

Tropical Storm Erika has sustained Winds of about 45 MPH, with gusts from 50 to 60 MPH.  The storm is moving to the west-northwest at 20 mph towards the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas.

The Track

Tropical Storm Erika is expected to keep a track trough the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Already due to this threat, Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for parts of the Leeward Islands.  After skimming parts of Hispaniola with its southern side, Erika will begin to move towards the Bahamas, but it is after here where things get interesting.

Let’s talk computer models

For a start, the European Computer Model (ECMWF or Euro) suggests that Erika will stall just north of the Bahamas due to a somewhat aggravating high pressure, this would happen likely until the high pressure moves to the east, then Erika would be allowed to trek the East Coast as a potentially monster-like storm.  Of course, we still have several days to go until we know exactly the final destination for Erika, which is officially expected to become a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.

Let’s bring in some of our spaghetti models now… Let’s start with some of the intensity computer models.  At the moment, the majority of the computer models seem to bring Erika to hurricane strength in about 3-5 days, and continue it on a strengthening path after that.  So there is limited disagreement between the current intensity models, but the spaghetti computer track models do have some disagreement on whether Erika will trek into the Gulf, or track up the coast at least to some degree.

Official Alerts: Tropical Storm Watches in effect for the Leeward Islands.

Weather 360 3.A.S.: Level III Alert, be aware that the potential for hazardous weather over the next two weeks may be felt along the US Southeast Coastline due to Tropical Storm Erika.

We here at Weather 360 will continue to keep you updated.