Summit County Citizens Voice

Remnants of Ophelia may redevelop; Philippe no threat to land

Hurricane Hilary is visible in the lower right part of the NOAA GOES satellite image. Click on the image to see the animated version.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Hurricane Hilary regained strength Monday, redeveloping sustained winds of 135 mph as it continued to move west over warm waters and in a low wind-shear environment. The storm is expected to weaken during the next few days as it moves over cooler water, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Whether or not Hilary will curve sharply north and potentially affect Baja is still unclear. Some of the forecast models show the storm making a sharp jog to the northeast Wednesday, on a path that could lead Hilary toward the southern end of the peninsula, but other forecasts suggest the hurricane will once again start heading out into the open waters of the Pacific. Check the NHC forecast discussion for more details.

The hurricane center said the uncertainty toward the end of the five-day forecast period is still quite high, so residents of southern Baja will probably be watching the storm closely the next few days. In any case, Hilary is likely to bring some big surf to Baja and potentially even parts of California.

In the Atlantic, the hurricane center now says that the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia are again showing signs of organization. That area of disturbed weather will bring heavy rain to parts of the northern Leeward Islands in the next few days. Forecasters said there’s a 60 percent chance the system will reform as a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia, — which may redevelop as a tropical cyclone — is just east of the Leeward Islands, while Philippe is visible in the eastern tropical Atlantic. Click on the image to see the animated loop from NOAA's GOES satellite.

Farther out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Philippe is churning along with 60 mph winds, but is expected to veer northwest and then north around the edge of a subtropical high toward the end of the week. although there is a chance the storm could be pushed on a more westerly to northwesterly course by a subtropical ridge.

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, Hurricanes Tagged: | Atlanctic hurricane season 2011, Hurricane Hilary, Leeward Islands, National Hurricane Center, Tropical cyclone, tropical storm Philippe