NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A rare weather phenomenon in the Atlantic is keeping two tropical systems from threatening the United States.
Hurricane Humberto, a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 145 mph, is weakening while nearby Tropical Storm Imelda strengthens near the Bahamas.
Normally, Imelda’s position would suggest a potential U.S. landfall, but the two storms are engaging in the Fujiwara effect, a counterclockwise rotation around a common center.
Humberto will pull Imelda to the east and then off they go. This is an incredibly lucky outcome for the southeastern U.S. because if Imelda hadn’t made this easterly turn, we would likely have seen a landfalling hurricane.
Imelda is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it moves east into the open Atlantic later this week. Humberto will weaken but is forecast to remain a hurricane through Thursday. Tropical storm watches are in effect for Bermuda…