Credit: Inside The MagicWe are over two months into hurricane season, and the Atlantic has been relatively quiet so far. However, that’s about to change later this week.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking Invest 97L off the coast of Africa. The Hurricane Center gives this system a 70 percent chance of developing into a major storm over the next two days and a 90 percent chance of development over the next week.
If this storm doesn’t develop over the next two days, the National Hurricane Center believes that conditions are right for the storm as it moves westward across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Climate Protection Center examines the surface water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the amount of Saharan Dust over the ocean. There is limited Saharan Dust over the Atlantic, which makes conditions suitable for hurricane development.
The Saharan Air Layer provides warm, dry air that keeps thunderstorms down, a necessary component for storm development. Temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to Florida are hovering at or above 80 degrees, which is conducive to storm development.
Now the question remains, where will this storm head? Some models suggest it will turn north and hit the Bahamas, missing Florida entirely, while others have Central Florida right in the path of the storm, as it skirts Florida’s east coast and heads north.
With the storm still 7-10 days away, it’s hard to predict precisely where it will head. We know that when this storm forms, it will be Hurricane Erin.
While Central Florida waits for its first hurricane of the season, the area spent the weekend dealing with drenching downpours, dropping nearly three to four inches in some spots. With that storm gone, the heat and humidity return to the area.
Guests can expect temperatures in the 90s and the “feels like” temperature in the 100s for the rest of the week. And, this being Central Florida, there is a chance of thunderstorms every afternoon.
So, with nearly three full months left in Hurricane Season, it’s time for Central Florida to prepare for what could be Hurricane Erin.
What’s your trick for surviving a hurricane at Disney World? Let us know in the comments.