Tropical Storm Sean; Rare Mediterranean cyclone; Four-A churning

Tropical Storm Sean is the main topic for the tropics today. Since it's November, the tropics really wind down. Every now and then we'll get a tropical system such as Tropical Storm Sean, the nineteenth tropical cyclone of the 2011 tropical season. The formation of Sean brings us in 6th place for the most active season on record. The origins of Sean can be tracked back from a non-tropical low that moved off the Carolina coastline. After meandering and moving southward, the low acquired subtropical characteristics and become Subtropical Storm Sean. Sean acquired tropical characteristics and became fully tropical this afternoon.

Sean is currently meandering to the southwest of Bermuda. There may be a slow drift to the west or west-northwest, but Sean (as of the 7pm EST advisory) is currently stationary. Sean is not expected to stay there for long. A trough that brought severe weather and tornadoes to Oklahoma yesterday, is expected to come a long and pick Sean up and scoot him very quickly out to sea. When the trough does come and pick Sean up, the island of Bermuda may be directly impacted. As a result, the National Weather Service in Bermuda has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the island.

A hybrid low pressure system was dubbed 99L on the Navy Site for Tropical Cyclones yesterday in the Mediterranean Sea. Named "Rolf" by the German Weather Service, this system had acquired tropical characteristics. This marked the first time in history a tropical system had formed and been named in the sea. Other such happenings have occurred such as in 1995 where a hurricane like storm formed between Greece and Italy. It is highly likely that this basin along with other unusual formation spots (i.e. the South Atlantic Ocean) will see an increased number of activity of tropical systems.

Another tropical cyclone has formed in the Arabian Sea. November is a secondary peak of the North Indian Ocean and it has made itself known over the past week. This is the second system to form in the Arabian Sea this month. Tropical Cyclone Four-A is currently drifting northward, however a westerly and southwesterly component is expected.

Until the next post,

See ya!

Matt