Just when everyone still has this the consequences that Hurricane Harvey has left as it passed through Texas, a new hurricane, baptized with the name of Irma, she's heading to the Caribbean. With the possibility of also reaching the United States, It belongs to the well-known hurricanes called "Cape Verde hurricane".
These types of hurricanes are so named because they form in the far eastern Atlantic, near the Cape Verde Islands. Moving across the Atlantic, Cape Verde cyclones they tend to stand out for being some of the largest and most intense hurricanesExamples of this can be found in Hurricane Hugo, which reached Category 5 status in 1989 and left widespread damage in Puerto Rico, Saint Croix, and South Carolina. Another example is Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which reached Category 5 status, with "unprecedented" intensity at low latitudes and maximum winds of 275 km/h.
Irma is a potentially destructive hurricane
Hurricane Irma right now
Irma was named a tropical storm this Wednesday morning. By Thursday afternoon, it was already a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 185km / h. This explosive strengthening is known as "rapid escalation.", as defined by the National Hurricane Center. This name is conferred when there is an increase in wind speed of at least 56km / h in less than 24 hours.
In Harvey's case, we could see this same phenomenon. It had a rapid escalation before reaching land, which elevated it to Category 4 when it moved near Corpus Christi. However, although it could be anticipated that it could intensify, few would have said that it would reach such a great intensity before, when it was anticipated that it could reach category 1, at most 2. Sometimes, last minute factors cause big changes , both in hurricanes and other meteorological phenomena.
For Irma, current and official forecasts from the National Hurricane Center indicate that will keep getting stronger as you move west over the next five days. It's quite possible that by Tuesday, it will be a Category 4 hurricane. This category, on the Saffir-Simpson scale, includes wind speeds between 210 and 249 km/h (920 and 944 mph), with a central pressure between XNUMX and XNUMX millibars. Potential damage is widespread to protective structures, with roof collapses on small buildings and flooding inland, similar to Harvey, which is considered one of the most destructive hurricanes.
Irma's forecast for the following Thursday day 7
Puerto Rico prepares
Although it is not possible to know exactly if Hurricane Irma will reach Puerto Rico, the island municipality of Culebra is already preparing, assuming that it will happen. Mayor Williams Iván Solís stated, «We cannot trust each other. We urge people to prepare. Let's not wait until the last moment ». Likewise, the mayor indicates that if the hurricane finally affects Puerto Rico, the areas where there are wooden and zinc residences, as well as mobile homes, will be evicted.
Taking into account the forecasts of the National Hurricane Center, Irma could pass through northern Puerto Rico between Wednesday and Thursday of the following week as a "major hurricane." With winds greater than 178km / h that would already be category 3. "So that a disaster does not happen, we are going to prepare as we prepare every year", Solís sentenced.
Who names the hurricanes?
Every year, a list is prepared with the names that hurricanes that occur throughout the season will receive. These lists, which are repeated every six years, include a name for each letter of the alphabet (not counting the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z) and alternate between male and female names. This year, for example, the hurricane season began with Arlene in April, starting with the letter A. Harvey, which was H, would be the next letter I, hence Irma.
When a hurricane is especially destructive in a country, its name is withdrawn and replaced on the list. Its name may not be used for the next 10 years to avoid confusion. This way, by naming a hurricane, it can be quickly and easily located in time. For more information, see the article on the most destructive hurricanes of recent years which also offers an analysis of its impact.
This system was created in 1953 by the National Hurricane Center, in United States.
We will report any eventuality in Irma's evolution.
