Janice R. Andrews
Beryl has exceeded all predictions for an early-season storm, and because of its unusual behavior, experts are concerned about what could happen next. Early season storms usually don’t portend much about what the remainder of the season has in store because the atmospheric conditions required for strong storms aren’t quite right. Beryl, though, has broken the mold.
A researcher scientist at Colorado State University and expert on hurricanes, Phil Klotzbach, drew attention to this oddity, saying, “Normally, early-season storm activity doesn’t tell us much about what is going to happen the rest of the time.” However, powerful storms in the eastern Caribbean and tropical Atlantic usually portend a highly busy season.”
An Early Start for Hurricane Season’s Busiest Phase
The Atlantic hurricane season’s busiest period usually starts in mid-August and peaks in September. But Beryl, which first developed in late June, acted more like a hurricane in September. Beryl was able to behave like a much later season storm because the waters she raced across were as warm as they should have been in September.
Even before the season started, forecasters had issued a warning about this. “Beryl confirms what we thought about this season, that given the extremely warm water temperatures that we currently have, we could experience mid-season-type storms earlier than normal,” Klotzbach said.
Warm ocean temperatures in the past
For more than a year, the water temperatures in the Atlantic basin—particularly in the area where Beryl made landfall as a hurricane—remain historically warm. Warm oceans, one of the main effects of global warming brought on by the pollution from fossil fuels, give tropical systems the energy they need to intensify quickly.
According to Klotzbach, Beryl strengthened more quickly than any previous storm on record for this early in the season, with gusts rising by 65 mph in just one day. The likelihood of this quick intensification is increasing as the climate crisis worsens.
The importance of Beryl’s actions was highlighted by Mona Hemmati, a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University’s Climate School. She said, “Beryl’s early and rapid intensification is indicative of the types of extreme weather events we may see more frequently in a warming world.” Many of the concerns scientists have about this storm season are embodied by Beryl.
Record-Shattering Achievers
Beryl took advantage of the unusually warm seas and eventually grew into the earliest-ever Category 5 hurricane in Atlantic history, accomplishing a number of firsts for any early July storm.
Elevated Forecasts for the Hurricane Season
Beryl’s extraordinary performance has validated forecasts for an extremely active hurricane season. This season, more named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes are predicted by Klotzbach’s Colorado State team. As of right now, they anticipate that there will be 25 named storms in the Atlantic season, 12 of which will be hurricanes, half of which will intensify to at least Category 3 hurricane status.
A developing La Niña is also taken into account in the forecast, which is predicted to lessen wind shear, or the variation in wind direction or speed at various atmospheric heights. Elevated wind shear can cause storms to break up or not form at all. In the absence of strong wind shear, more storms may develop and intensify.
The Function of Abnormally Warm Waters
As with Beryl, exceptionally warm waters are predicted to last until the height of hurricane season, allowing storms to intensify in spite of any destructive wind shear. The same pattern was seen the previous year, when El Niño increased wind shear, yet the warm waters caused 20 named storms to still emerge.
A Short Break in Action
For the time being, a significant area of dry, dusty air and a few periods of somewhat disruptive wind shear are to blame for the short-lived halt in Atlantic tropical activity that is anticipated to last for the next week or two. This time of year is usually characterized by plumes of dry air loaded with Saharan dust flowing over the Atlantic from Africa. They are harmful to tropical systems because they rob these systems of the moisture they require to thrive, even if they occasionally make up to the United States and produce breathtaking sunsets.
The Million Dollar Conundrum
It is still unclear when tropical activity will peak again. Depending on how a number of atmospheric elements develop over the next few weeks, it may pick up speed again later in July or wait until August. According to Klotzbach, this is the “million dollar question.”
All the same, Beryl’s actions have demonstrated that an abundant hurricane season is quite likely given the intense heat of the ocean. Weather forecasters and people living in hurricane-prone areas need to be on the lookout for potential extreme activity and danger this season.
