2 September 2010 Tropical Weather Analysis
Hurricane Earl is bearing down on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It currently has maximum winds of 110 mph and a minimum pressure of 951 mb, making it a strong category 2 hurricane. The rainbands of Earl have already started to affect North Carolina, and the first sustained winds of tropical storm force are being reported just off Cape Hatteras. Conditions will continue to deteriorate until Earl makes its closest approach late tonight, and winds sustained over 60 mph seem probable in some areas of the Outer Banks. Storm surge will be the bigger issue, and could reach 3-5 feet in spots. This is due to the fact Earl has been an intense hurricane for a long time, and a massive mound of water has built up in front of it.
The effects of Earl will be spreading further up the east coast tonight and tomorrow as the hurricane heads NE. Earl is expected to pass near, if not over, Nantucket and Cape Cod tomorrow night. Fortunately, it will have weakened considerably by then due to wind shear and cold water, but it will still likely be a dangerous hurricane. Interests in that region should follow the advice of local emergency management closely. On Saturday Earl will make landfall in either Maine or Nova Scotia, either as a minimal hurricane or strong tropical storm, which is still a dangerous situation and folks there need to follow this closely as well.
Earl Satellite Imagery
