ORLANDO, Fla. – Henri continues to churn in between Florida and Bermuda. Other than an increasing rip current and higher surf, Henri will not be an issue for Florida. Late in the week, Henri is expected to turn, moving in between the Carolinas and Bermuda.
The final outcome of Henri will depend on how strong the storm is by the end of the week. A stronger storm will be influenced more by a departing weather system off of the East Coast of the U.S.
This dip in the jet stream will have a tendency to pull the storm closer to the U.S., similar to what happened with Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Henri is not expected to be on the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy as it moves uncomfortably close to New England, but storm surge, heavy rain and wind will all be possible.
Deemed a “superstorm” in 2012, Sandy interacted with a strong upper-level low sinking out of the Great lakes region. This dip in the jet stream not only vigorously pulled Sandy into the U.S. but also injected energy enhancing the historic storm.
While that aforementioned dip could pull Henri closer to the U.S. rather than allow safe passage out to sea, the system steering Henri is also not nearly as strong as the system in October of 2012.
Interests in New England should pay close attention to the forecasts of Henri into the weekend.