Hello to all…

As we approach the peak of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season, we now have 3 tropical systems to monitor as well as the remnants of Lee. This is a quick update on each system.

Hurricane Katia continues on track between Bermuda and the US East Coast and is now a Category-1 Hurricane. Katia is expected to go out to sea roughly 200-250 miles southeast of Nantucket Island. This means the impacts to the US will be high surf and rip currents on the beaches and possibly wind gusts to 25-30 MPH on Nantucket Island with the greater threats from Katia to shipping interests. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to monitor Katia in case there are any unexpected surprises in her track that would bring her closer to land.

Tropical Storm Maria has formed out of Tropical Depression 14 and is moving swiftly westward with maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH and may impact the Northeast Caribbean Islands and Puerto Rico later Friday and this weekend. Maria is currently expected to stay at tropical storm strength but intensity prediction is always difficult and Maria will be monitored in case she unexpectedly intensifies to hurricane strength prompting potential VoIP Hurricane Net and Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, activation towards late Friday and the weekend.

Tropical Storm Nate has formed in the Southern Gulf of Mexico in the Bay of Campeche with maximum sustained winds of 45 MPH. Nate is expected to move slowly and erractically over the next few days with potential landfall somewhere in Mexico. Nate may also intensify into a hurricane. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Chilitepec to Celestun Mexico as of the 5 PM EDT/2100 UTC 9/7/11 advisory.

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Hello to all..

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend. Here is an Atlantic Tropical Update for 9/5/11.

Tropical Storm Lee made landfall in Southeast Louisiana over the weekend and the NHC has issued its last advisory. Extratropical Lee is now being tracked by the Hydrometeorlogical Prediction Center (HPC) and they are issuing advisories every 6 hours on Extratropical Lee. The remnants of Lee have the potential to cause heavy rainfall from the Appalachians to New England with a potential for severe weather in the Southeast United States.

Hurricane Katia is nearing major hurricane strength as of the 11 AM EDT/1500 UTC Monday 9/5/11 advisory. Confidence is growing that Katia will take a track between the US East Coast and Bermuda and will recurve out to sea. This will still be monitored closely as the weather models have had difficulties handling the trough just west of the US East Coast and how it affects Katia but there has been multi-model agreement over 5 consecutive model runs concerning Katia’s track between the Caroinas and Bermuda and then out to sea south of New England and the Canadian Maritimes.

A new tropical wave has emerged off of Africa and is located 550 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. This wave has a high chance of developing into a Tropical Depression over the next day or two as it moves westward.

HPC Advisory information on Lee, National Hurricane Center (NHC) Advisory information on Hurricane Katia and the NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook can be seen on the Main Menu of the voipwx.net web site under Atlantic Tropical Products and can also be seen on the NHC web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the Atlantic Tropics as we approach the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!
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Hello to all..

We are approaching the peak of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season so a high amount of activity is still noted. Here’s an update:

Katia is now a hurricane and tracking about 1100 miles east of the Leeward Islands. Over the next 5 day period, Katia is expected to stay over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and be a threat only to shipping interests while intensifying to major hurricane strength. It is unclear whether Katia will stay out to sea or affect any portion of the US East Coast, Bermuda or the Canadian Maritimes. This will be monitored closely.

Another area of disturbed weather is located in the Gulf of Mexico. This system now has a high chance of development and could have impacts to the Northern Gulf coast so interests in these areas should closely monitor the progress of the system.

A non-tropical low pressure system about 360 milles north of Bermuda but has a low chance for development. This system should stay well out at sea as well.

Advisories on Katia can be found on the voipwx.net web site under the Atlantic Tropical Products section of the Main Menu of the web site. The Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook can also be found in the same section on the web site. The Katia advisories and Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook can also be found on the National Hurricane Center web site via the link below:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the Atlantic Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

..VoIP Hurricane Net Activation Starting at 12 PM EDT/1600 UTC Tuesday August 23rd, 2011 for Impact of Hurricane Irene on the Southeast Bahamas. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event..
..WX4NHC-National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Operations will also be active starting at 12 PM EDT/1600 UTC Tuesday August 23rd, 2011..

Hurricane Irene is a Category 2 hurricane and is expected to intensify into a Major Category 3 hurricane in the next 24 to 48 hours. Irene will be impacting the Bahamas over the next couple days. After that, Irene is a potential threat to the US East Coast from the Carolinas northward to New England.

For the latest advisory information including watches and warnings, you can go to the VoIPWXNet web site and click Atlantic Tropical Products and click on the advisory information for Hurricane Irene under the Atlantic Tropical Products section. You can also gather the advisory information from the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The reporting criteria and activation policy for our net during hurricane net activations can be found on our web site at http://www.voipwx.net and any reports received via relays or directly from Amateurs in the path of Hurricane Richard would be much appreciated.

Listen Only IRLP/EchoLink capability include the following systems (We ask that listen-only folks please provide this capability and connect by formal activation time if possible):

IRLP:
Reflector 9508 Sydney Australia Reflector channel 8.
Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.

EchoLink:
*KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
*VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177
*N5API* Node: 77433
*KA1AAA* Node: 509403

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Hello to all..

Tropical Storm Irene has formed near the Leeward Islands with Maximum Sustained Winds of 50 MPH and is located about 190 Miles, 305 Kilometers east of Dominica. As of 7 PM ET, 2300 UTC Saturday, Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Vieques, Culebra, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maartin, Dominica, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. Hurricane conditions could occur in Dominican Republic late Monday. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Irene and be prepared to activate the VoIP Hurricane Net should hurricane conditions occur over portions of the Caribbean islands and pathways to gather information from the affected area exist. It is premature to know the threat for the US East Coast at this time but there is a possible threat there that should be monitored particularly over the Southeast US coast later in the week.

Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall in Belize earlier today. Harvey will continue to weaken with the biggest threat being heavy rain though some winds to tropical storm force remain possible. Harvey should degenerate and dissipate later Sunday or Monday.

Advisories on Irene and Harvey can be found on the VoIP Hurricane Net web site at http://www.voipwx.net under the Main Menu of the web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. Advisories can also be seen on at the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The system near the Cape Verde Islands is entering a more unfavorable environment for development and now only has a low chance, 20% of formation. Currently, weather models also keep the system well out at sea and a threat only to shipping interests.
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Hello to all..

On Friday August 19th, 1991, New England was struck by Hurricane Bob, the last hurricane to directly strike this region causing significant damage to the Southeast New England coastline, flooding rains and wind damage throughout much of Southern New England. Friday August 19th, 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of this event. The National Weather Service in Taunton Massachusetts put out a Public Information Statement on Hurricane Bob and I also mentioned some other tropical system history since Hurricane Bob via a web posting at the NWS Taunton SKYWARN Home page. A link to the Hurricane Bob content is listed below:

http://www.wx1box.org/node/1234

New England does occasionally get hurricanes but it has been many years now so statements and commerations of anniversaries such as this one is a reminder to this region and to other areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that have not received a landfalling hurricane in a number of years that they can happen and we should be prepared as we approach the peak of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

Tropical Storm Harvey continues to move towards Belize with little change in strength. Harvey will move into Belize later this afternoon or this evening as a strong tropical storm. There is still a low chance for Harvey to intensify into a hurricane but the chances are reduced as compared to last night.

In coordination with K4AG-John McHugh and WD4R-Julio Ripoll, coordinators for WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, they are monitoring Harvey’s progress but at this time, activation is not expected. In terms of the VoIP Hurricane Net, we’ll monitor various weather stations and storm bloggers and informally monitor the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for any stations in the area but we will not plan a formal activation of the net. Our weekly VoIP Hurricane Prep Net will take place as planned at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/0000 UTC. If any Amateurs gather any information from contacts in Belize, we will try to have someone monitor the Echolink/IRLP system during the day or reports can be given via the weekly net this evening and that can be a place to handle this information.

Updates on the other potential areas of disturbed weather will be given later tonight and on the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net this evening. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

The latest information on Tropical Storm Harvey, which was TD 8 Thursday Evening, now has him becoming a hurricane prior to landfall on the coast of Belize Saturday Evening. VoIP Hurricane Net Activation may occur if this forecast becomes valid. We are currently coordinating with the Amateur Radio Coordinators at the National Hurricane Center, Julio Ripoll-WD4R, and John McHugh-K4AG on this potential. This may pre-empt the regular session of the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net Saturday Evening.

Any Amateurs with contact with affected area or relays into the affected areas of Harvey are asked to relay any reports or contacts to the VoIP Hurricane Net Management team. Another update will be sent out around Midday Saturday. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

The Atlantic Tropics remain active. Tropical Depression (TD) 8 has formed in the Western Caribbean Sea. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the coast of Guatamalea. TD 8 is near land but may reach Tropical Storm strength before interacting with land. There is also the possibility that TD 8 remains a depression and makes landfall. If it were to become a tropical storm, it would be named Harvey. In any case, this system is highly unlikely to reach hurricane strength prior to landfall though the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will monitor it closely. Advisory information on TD 8 is available on the voipwx.net web site under the main menu under Atlantic Tropical products. It is also available at the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Elsewhere in the tropics, a vigorous tropical wave has emerged off Africa and upper level winds and water temperatures are favorable for development and the system already has a medium chance for development. There will be heavy rains and gusty winds over the Cape Verde Islands from this system.

Another large tropical wave with limited shower activity is 1200 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and has a low chance for development over the next 48 hours. Conditions after 48 hours, however, are expected to become more conducive for development.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor developments in the Atlantic Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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