Imelda erupts into hurricane as Fujiwhara Effect to save East Coast

"There are now two hurricanes, Imelda and Humberto, sitting just off the East Coast. Their close proximity has triggered a rare weather event known as the Fujiwhara Effect, which takes place when two tropical cyclones get close enough that they begin to influence each other's path and strength. In this case, meteorologists believe the much larger Hurricane Humberto has begun to pull Imelda closer to it in the Atlantic, yanking it away from the Southeast just before it was due to make landfall."

"However, this rare double hurricane is now projected to be more of a rain event for the East Coast, which could still pose several dangers to coastal communities. Forecasters have warned that coastal areas from Florida to Virginia still face a high risk of tropical wind and rain over the next two weeks, while rough surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding is still a concern through the weekend."

"Imelda is now projected to make a sharp turn east, heading straight for Bermuda and making landfall by Thursday. On Tuesday, however, Imelda will still be close enough to the US to deliver heavy rains in the Carolinas, with up to four inches predicted along the coast of North and South Carolina. Meteorologists have said that this last-second save by Hurricane Humberto is a historic event during the Atlantic hurricane season."

Imelda intensified into a Category 1 hurricane off Florida with sustained winds over 75 mph. Imelda and Humberto sit roughly 500 miles apart off the East Coast, triggering the Fujiwhara Effect as their proximity causes mutual influence. Humberto, the larger storm, is pulling Imelda east into the Atlantic, diverting it from an expected Southeast landfall. Models that previously forecasted landfall in Florida, Georgia, or the Carolinas now project Imelda as primarily a rain event for the East Coast. Coastal areas from Florida to Virginia still face high risk of tropical wind, heavy rain, rough surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding over the next two weeks.

Read at Mail Online