ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s been a very busy week across the Atlantic Basin. We went 27 days without a named storm across the tropics after Hurricane Don.
But on Sunday, Aug. 20, that rapidly changed.
Before Tropical Storm Emily was named that day, it was a tropical wave being watched slowly move off the coast of Africa around Aug. 15. Atmospheric conditions were favorable for further tropical development in the few days that followed.
After satellite data showed winds were hitting the tropical-storm-force threshold and the center was well defined, the National Hurricane Center designated this system as Tropical Storm Emily.
The tropics begin to get active closer to the end of August into September, as is expected, but what happened after Tropical Storm Emily actually broke a 130-year-old record.
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Shortly after Tropical Storm Emily formed, three other tropical waves were named in quick succession: Franklin, Gert and Harold.
Tropical Storm Harold formed in the western Gulf and became the fourth named storm during a 39-hour period, the fastest time on record where four storms were named in the Atlantic. That’s according to Philip Klotzback, a hurricane expert with Colorado State University.
That broke the old record, which was set in 1893 and tied in 1980. The latter example involved the formation of tropical storms Danielle, Earl, Frances and Georges within 48 hours.
Tropical Storm Harold made landfall on Padre Island, Texas, right before 11 a.m. ET Tuesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts as high as 67 mph. Harold became the first storm to make landfall in the United States during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
So far this season, we’ve seen nine named storms, as well as an unnamed subtropical system back in January. Currently there are three areas being monitored, with one named storm.
Tropical Storm Franklin is now leaving the Turks and Caicos, expected to become the second hurricane of the season this weekend.
The next names on the 2023 Atlantic hurricane list are Idalia, Jose and Katia.
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