Hurricane Earl Update

NOAA image of Hurricane Earl this morning east of the Bahamas.

12PM Update: As of 11am Hurricane Warnings are flying for the North Carolina coast from Bogue Inlet north to the Virginia border including the Outer Banks and all sounds. A Hurricane Watch is now in effect northward to Cape Henlopen, Delaware.

HEATWAVE
Strong high pressure continues to pump tropical air into southern Quebec and eastern Ontario today. Poor air quality has resulted in smog warnings for both provinces and air quality alerts for upstate New York. The warm and humid air produced a record high of 32C in Montreal yesterday and we are forecasted to reach 33C today which would smash the record of 31.7C set in 1953. The normal high for September 1 is 22.4C and we are already at 24C this morning. The warm air will be with us until Friday. Afterwards a cold front from the Great Lakes as well as the western edge of Earl may affect our weather into Labor Day weekend.

HURRICANE Earl
Earl is 780 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras this morning. The storm has weakened slightly but remains a powerful Category 3 storm with 125mph winds. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the North Carolina and Virginia coast from Surf City north to the Maryland border, this includes the fragile Outer Banks. Anyone who knows me or reads this blog on a regular basis knows of my attachment to Hatteras Island and the Outer Banks. While I am hoping for the best, each successive forecast track has pushed Earl slightly to the west. It appears the storm will approach the Carolina coast by late Thursday. Afterwards the entire northeast and Atlantic Canada is at risk for hurricane or tropical storm conditions. I imagine watches will be upgraded to warnings on the Outer Banks today and likely a watch may be needed further up the east coast. Seas are building today all along the coast. The main threat from Earl will be high surf and battering waves on the Outer Banks with ocean overwash and possible flooding along NC 12.

***This is a local statement for Hyde County, published on the Ocracoke Island Journal Blog. My significant other and myself have spent so many hours on Ocracoke, and many many moments at the Village Craftsman where the blog originates. I think we have more of their stock in our home than remains in the store. Read the local statement HERE.

**Tropical Storm Fiona is 70 miles northeast of Barbuda this morning with 60mph winds. She will affect the Leeward Islands today. Meanwhile another system is showing signs of organization off the African coast south of the Cape Verde Islands and we could have another named storm by the weekend.