The hurricane season seems to be progressing towards a wet and windy denouement. Dora is the name of the fourth hurricane of the season. It is taking shape in the Eastern Pacific and is centered approximately 240 miles south of the vacation town of Acapulco; this is moving west-northwest with windspeeds of 75 mph. In Mexico, storm warnings are out in Oaxaca and Chiapas; the area is also susceptible to high waves because of Dora. The Mexican government is in the process of preparing around 900 storm shelters in flood-prone areas. So, if you plan to go out boating in those waters be informed about the waves and how the winds are shaping.
In other hurricane related news; Bret, the tropical storm, is set to peter into a tropical depression by Thursday. It is moving northeast away from the Bahamas and deeper into the Atlantic ocean. So, for the time being the U.S Atlantic coast is safe. More specifically, coastal areas of North Carolina can breathe easy. Bret had exhibited maximum sustained wind speeds of 50mph.
One piece of useful news today is that WDSU New Orleans has launched an app for Android and iPhone devices. It’s called Hurricane Central and is a free download. It is a nifty app that lets you track hurricanes, monitor storms, and check out evacuation routes, look up traffic situations. You can also follow minute-by-minute twitter updates released by WDSU meteorologists.
