Atlantic Hurricane Season Getting Interesting

NOAA Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Late August through the end of October is the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season.  The last several days have been very active.  NHC issuing advisories on Hurricane DANIELLE and Hurricane EARL

The satellite image above shows two tropical cyclones which we are watching and one potential storm.
Please see the following blog posts for complete details on these storms. 
Major Hurricane Danielle Near Bermuda
Tropical Storm Earl Expected to Become Hurricane

The cruise lines are monitoring these storms and have issued statements.  The only cruise line that has made changes is Norwegian Cruise Line.   See the above links for details.

800 PM EDT SAT AUG 28 2010

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON HURRICANE
DANIELLE...LOCATED ABOUT 330 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA...AND
ON TROPICAL STORM EARL...LOCATED ABOUT 570 MILES EAST OF THE
NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.

A BROAD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...ASSOCIATED WITH A VIGOROUS TROPICAL
WAVE...IS LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE RECENTLY INCREASED NEAR THE
CENTER...AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION TO FORM LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY.  THERE
IS A HIGH CHANCE...80 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL
CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD TO WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH.

What is a hurricane?
A low pressure over warm water causes tropical depressions which, if conditions are correct, will form into a hurricane.   Many of the hurricanes at this time of year form off the coast of Cape Verde, Africa.   That is where these storms have formed.

There is another tropical storm behind label "1" in the graphic above.  If you are cruising in the Atlantic in the near future, you'll want to keep watch on all of these storms.  We will continue to monitor the storms as they develop and provide updates here.

UPDATE: 

200 PM EDT SUN AUG 29 2010

ALTHOUGH THE CIRCULATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
LOCATED MIDWAY BETWEEN THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA AND THE LESSER
ANTILLES HAS BECOME BETTER DEFINED TODAY...RECENT SATELLITE DATA
INDICATE THAT IT DOES NOT YET APPEAR TO HAVE A WELL-DEFINED
CENTER...AND THE ASSOCIATED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS
BECOME LESS ORGANIZED OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS.  HOWEVER...ONLY A
SMALL INCREASE IN ORGANIZATION COULD RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION...AND THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE...80 PERCENT...OF
THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS
IT MOVES GENERALLY WESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH.