Hurricane Epsilon -- brought to you by Exxon-Mobil

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002539.html

AFTER A SLIGHT WEAKENING OVERNIGHT...MORNING SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT EPSILON HAS RESTRENGTHENED. THE EYE HAS BECOME MORE
SYMMETRIC AND THE RING OF CONVECTION IS STRONGER THAN YESTERDAY.
T-NUMBERS FROM TAFB AND SAB ARE 4.5 ON THE DVORAK SCALE AND ON THIS BASIS...THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS INCREASED TO 75 KNOTS. THERE ARE NO CLEAR REASONS...AND I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE ONE UP...TO EXPLAIN THE RECENT STRENGTHENING OF EPSILON AND I AM JUST DESCRIBING THE FACTS. HOWEVER...I STILL HAVE TO MAKE AN INTENSITY FORECAST AND THE BEST BET AT THIS TIME IS TO PREDICT WEAKENING DUE TO COLD WATER...HIGH SHEAR AND DRY AIR.

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But even more disturbing is that Epsilon doesn't make much sense, even to experts. Hurricanes are supposed to begin over warm water and lose strength over colder currents -- but this one is going in reverse:

Epsilon is a north and east hybrid storm - instead of starting out as an area of thunderstorms and "convection" - hot air rising off the water - it started the other way -as a strong swirl of winds that strayed far enough over warmer water to pick up convection...Over and over again NHC, the models from computers, and basic statistical track records have said that Epsilon wouldn't make hurricane, would lose the convection over colder water, would disspiate or be absorbed, or picked up in the westerlies. Instead Epsilon got very organized, acquired, and more ore less kept, an eye, has a good ring of convection, and has strayed farther and farther south, thus buying more and more time.

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Sounds pretty urgent, no? You'll be glad to know that the U.S. is on the case of global warming -- with a man hand-picked by Exxon-Mobil! The Washington Post has the scoop:

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A Feb. 6, 2001, fax sent to the White House by oil giant Exxon Mobil proposed involving Watson more closely in international climate negotiations.

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Watson, traitor to america and the world

summer before last a strange hurricane formed over cold water and hit the east coast of South Amer. something that had never happened before.

pretty soon we will have to fortify our living spaces from the weather year round.

By John Barnes? Basically the premise is that a methane release sets off a strong warming period, in turn generating monster hurricanes. Maybe not too farfetched (athough many parts of the book are out there...)

nt

Global Superstorm, on which "The Day After Tomorrow" was based.

A bit out there, but it turned me on to a lot of the
real science in regard to the decay of the Gulf Stream,
and climatic tipping points.