Hello to all..

As reported on the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net on Saturday 9/24/11 by Lloyd Colston-KC5FM, there is now a general online SKYWARN training class available. This can be found at the following link:

https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_course.php?id=23

This course may or may not be accepted by local NWS forecast offices as a substitute for their local training so its advised to check in with your local weather office on whether this will serve as credit for classes held at the local level. Nonetheless, it is additional training that can be helpful for weather spotting and if you cannot attend a training session in your area or if they are not offered in your local area, it can give you an idea of what to look for from a weather spotting perspective.

Also reported by Lloyd-KC5FM is that the QTH SKYWARN email list is now fully moderated to keep things on topic and civil on that email reflector. Interested folks that want to join that SKYWARN email list can do so via the following link:

http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/skywarn

Thanks to Lloyd for bringing this info forward. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net!

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

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Hello to all..

The Atlantic Tropics are active with 2 tropical storms (Ophelia and Philippe) and one area of disturbed weather in the Bahamas. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team continues to monitor these systems closely.

Tropical Storm Ophelia is located 620 miles east of the Leeward Islands and is moving Northwest at 13 MPH. Ophelia is expected to remain a tropical storm with weakening possible over the next 3 days or so followed by some intensification threafter. Ophelia is expected to be a threat only to shipping interests at this time.

Tropical Storm Philippe has formed out of Tropical Depression 17, which was classified late Friday Evening. Philippe has the potential to become a hurricane but is expected to be a threat only to shipping interests at this time and is in the far eastern atlantic about 345 miles southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.

An area of disturbed weather has a medium chance for development over the Bahama Islands about 165 miles south-southeat of Cape Canaveral Florida. Computer weather models do not develop this system with any kind of significance as of yet but this system has tried to show signs of organization today. The current tropical weather outlook indicates that favorable upper level winds over the next day or so will become unfavorable later in the period. Where it has close proximity to the US East Coast, this will be watched closely over the next couple days.

Advisories on Ophelia, Philippe and the Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook that lists the area of disturbed weather in the Bahamas can be found on the voipwx.net web site under the Main Menu under Atlantic Tropical Products. They can also be seen on the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
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Hello to all..

Tropical Storm Ophelia has formed in the Central Atlantic Ocean. Ophelia will be over the open Atlantic waters for the next few days before potentially approaching the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico as a tropical storm toward the Sunday/Monday timeframe. Ophelia is not expected to reach hurricane strength due to an unfavorable environment for strengthening. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Ophelia.

Advisory information on Ophelia can be seen on the voipwx.net web site off the Main Menu of the web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. It can also be seen off the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor the tropical Atlantic. 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 VoIP Hurricane Net has secured its activation for Hurricane Maria. Maria has become post-tropical north of Newfoundland Canada and continues to race northeastward. Maria tracked a bit east of the forecast track which kept the strongest tropical storm and hurricane force winds just offshore of Newfoundland. That said, weather station and Amateur Radio reports indicated minimal tropical storm force conditions occurred over Newfoundland with rainfall in the 1-3″ range and wind gusts as high as 54 MPH. Amateurs on the VO1RCR-R Echolink Node: 180234 provided infomation from the St Johns Newfoundland Canada area. Reports of criteria can be seen via the VoIP Hurricane Net Report Viewer at the following link:

http://report.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records?auth=OK

For the first time in VoIP Hurricane Net history with a landfalling tropical system in the Canadian Maritimes, we had both the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada and the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida on the net. VE1MBR-Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist at the Canadian Hurricane Centre, was on and took reports from the VoIP Hurricane Net from the affected area and WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida was on the network through the efforts of WX4NHC Amateur Radio Station Coordinator, John McHugh-K4AG. Special thanks to VoIP Hurricane Net Controls, Jim Sellars-N0UAM, KC8TCQ-Keith Hosman, N1YLQ-Mike “Sparky” Leger, KJ4VLC-Carl Gosline, W3ZR-Bob Montgomery and KD0MXN-Chance Callahan for the support as net controls on the system for the net.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to montior the Atlantic Tropical Season as we are in the second half of the 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..

..VoIP Hurricane Net Activation for Hurricane Maria for impact on Southeast Newfoundland Canada to commence at 10 AM EDT lasting until approximately 6 PM EDT..
..Hurricane Warnings are now in effect for Newfoundland from Arnolds Cove to Brigus South with a Tropical Storm Warning in effect for Newfounldand from Stones Cove to Arnolds Cove and from Brigus South to Charlottetown..

Hurricane Maria is now expected to bring hurricane force conditions to Southeast Newfoundland Canada. While water temperatures are quite cold in Southeast Newfoundland, Maria’s fast forward speed will preclude significant weakening as it approaches Newfoundland resulting in potential hurricane force conditions for the province. We are looking for any reporting stations directly in the affected area of Newfoundland or any relays into the affected area.

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 Maria 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

Also, the Canadian Hurricane Centre is issuing advisories on Hurricane Maria. That information can be seen via the link below:

http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/bulletins_e.html

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:
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Hello to all..

Hurricane Maria could potentially impact Southeastern Newfoundland Canada as a hurricane Friday Morning into the afternoon hours. The track this morning which had Maria not impacting Newfoundland changed due to her increase in forward speed and less of a turn further out to sea. Her intensification into a hurricane was expected. This could potentially prompt VoIP Hurricane Net Activation due to the impact on Southeast Newfoundland Canada. Contact has been made with the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Nova Scotia Canada as well as the Amateur Radio Coordinators of WX4NHC, National Hurricane Center concerning Maria. The primary time for net activation would be from late morning through early evening Friday.

While Maria will be traversing colder waters, her very quick forward speed is likely to allow her to maintain hurricane strength into Newfoundland. In addition, high-latitude hurricanes that affect New England and the Canadian Maritimes that forward speed is additive on the eastern side. Places such as St Johns Newfoundland could see very high wind gusts given the forward speed would be additive to Maria’s strong wind field.

An update will be sent tomorrow morning if activation will occur. 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 Maria will bring tropical storm force conditions to Bermuda today as it moves North-Northeast. A Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch is in effect for Bermuda. Maria has about a 24 hour window to strengthen into a huricane before weakening occurs Friday and it transitions to a post tropical cyclone over the open waters of the Atlantic. The center of Maria should stay far enough offshore of Bermuda where Maria will see tropical storm force conditions with an outside chance of wind gusts to hurricane force but any sustained hurricane force conditions if Maria intensifies into hurricane would remain offshore of Bermuda. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to monitor Maria as it passes by Bermuda today.

Elsewhere in the Tropics, conditions are quiet with no other systems being monitored for development at this time. 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..

Overnight, the engima that is Tropical Storm Nate weakened overnight. Hurricane Warnings for Mexico have been changed to Tropical Storm Warnings for the area. It is now unlikely that Nate will be at hurricane strength prior to landfall. Therefore, there will be no VoIP Hurricane Net Activation today for Nate. Nate will make landfall around midday/early this afternoon in the Veracruz Mexico area.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor developments in the 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..

After weakening overnight, Tropical Storm Nate has been steadily intensifying and the official NHC forecast has been changed to show Nate reaching hurricane stength before making landfall north of Veracruz Mexico Sunday Afternoon. Nate may require VoIP Hurricane Net Activation during the day on Sunday. Any Amateurs with contacts across Southeast Mexico from Tuxpan Mexico to Punta El Lagarto Mexico are asked to make contact in support of potential VoIP Hurricane Net Activation on Sunday.

Once again, advisory information on Tropical Storm Nate can be seen on the main menu of the voipwx.net web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. The advisory information can also be seen on the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Nate. 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..

Here is an update on the Atlantic Tropics:

Tropical Storm Nate continues over the Southern Bay of Campeche. Due to it being stationary and upwelling water over the area, Nate has actually weakened slightly. Nate is starting to move toward the west at 5 MPH and slow intensification is expected. A Hurricane Watch is in effect from Tampico to Veracruz Mexico with a Tropical Storm Warning from Tampico to Punta El Lagarto. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from north of Tampico to La Cruz Mexico. At this time, current NHC prognostications is for Nate to be just below hurricane strength as it makes landfall Sunday just to the north of Veracruz Mexico. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will montior the progress of Nate today in case he intensifies more quickly and becomes a hurricane prior to landfall in Mexico.

Tropical Storm Maria remains disorganized this morning and may dissipate later today. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for St. Maartin, Saba, St. Eustatius, Antigua, Anguilla, Barbuda, Montserrat, Nevis, St Kitts, St Barthelemy, St Marteen, the US and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico including Vieques and Culebra. If Maria survives, the environment will become more favorable for strengthening as it passes the islands and moves near the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas and then track more northward around 70 West longtitude per the official NHC forecast. The threat to the US East Coast looks low at this time. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor the progress of Maria.

Hurricane Katia is racing northeastward and is a threat to shipping interests only. Katia should become post-tropical later today and remain a powerful extratropical system affecting the British Isles and Northern Europe late this weekend into early next week.
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