Tropical Storm Colin formed Saturday morning off the coast of South Carolina, becoming the third so-called storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season and threatening to flood outdoor activities during the long weekend of July 4th.
The storm, somewhat surprisingly, formed hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall in Nicaragua.
Colin was expected to move slowly through the Carolinas over the weekend. At 5 a.m. East Saturday morning, there were sustained maximum winds near 40 mph and it was inland over South Carolina.
Meteorologists warned that tropical storm conditions were expected in South Carolina on Saturday morning and in North Carolina from Saturday morning to Sunday. Heavy rains were expected, with some areas reaching up to four inches.
A tropical storm warning was in effect from the South Santee River, SC, to Duck, NC
It had been a quiet few weeks for the Atlantic hurricane season, after Tropical Storm Alex formed on June 5 and moved across South Florida shortly thereafter. Alex was the first named storm of what is expected to be a hurricane season “above normal,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If this prediction is fulfilled, 2022 would be the seventh consecutive year with a higher-than-normal season.
This year, meteorologists predict that the season, which will last until November 30, will produce 14 to 21 named storms. Between six and ten of them are expected to become hurricanes, and up to six of them are expected to strengthen into major hurricanes, classified as Category 3 storms with winds of at least 111 mph.
Last year, there were 21 named storms, after a record 30 in 2020. Over the past two years, meteorologists have exhausted the list of names used to identify storms during hurricane season. ‘Atlantic, a fact that has only happened again. , in 2005.
The links between hurricanes and climate change have become clearer with each passing year. The data show that hurricanes have become stronger around the world over the past four decades. A warming planet can expect stronger hurricanes over time and a higher incidence of more powerful storms, although the total number of storms could drop, because factors such as stronger wind shear could prevent it from they form weaker storms.
Hurricanes are also getting wetter due to more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; Scientists have suggested that storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced much more rain than they would have without human effects on the climate. In addition, rising sea levels are helping to increase storm surge, the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.