Ideal Atmospheric Conditions Keep Hurricane Irma Strong

Hurricane Irma continues to close in on records as the largest and strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Thursday evening.  Currently pummeling Turks and Caicos, Hurricane Irma will continue on its west/northwest track into Friday morning as a Category 5 hurricane.

The surrounding environment around Irma is very favorable for it to maintain its strength.  The storm continues to move into deep, warm ocean waters - where temperatures are well into the 80's with even a few pockets of 90 degree temperatures noted.  Atmospheric wind shear is also very weak over the Atlantic and Caribbean.  Wind shear is the change of wind direction and speed with height.  Unlike for severe weather, too much wind shear in the environment will cause a hurricane to break apart.

The latest track of Hurricane Irma does not paint a pretty picture for South Florida heading into the weekend.  Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered for some counties in Florida, with evacuations also taking place Friday for some counties in Georgia.  Right now Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall near Miami early Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane, producing wind gusts near 130 mph.  The storm is then expected to move north right through Florida, only weakening to a Category 1 hurricane when it reaches the Florida/Georgia border.

There are currently two major hurricanes in the Atlantic, Hurricane Irma (Category 5) and Hurricane Jose (Category 3), and Hurricane Katia (Category 1) in the Gulf of Mexico.  Hurricane Katia will affect Mexico with heavy rainfall and strong winds heading into the weekend.  Hurricane Jose will take a similar track to Hurricane Irma, impacting islands that already received catastrophic damage earlier this week.  Right now the official track of Jose has it moving north of the Virgin Islands and remaining over open water.