Tropical Storm Zeta Forms in Atlantic

AP ^ | 12/30/2005 | ADRIAN SAINZ

[Chanticleer]

MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Zeta formed Friday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, another installment in a record-breaking hurricane season that officially ended last month.

Zeta, the 27th storm of the season, formed Friday about 1,000 miles south-southwest of the Azores islands, according to an advisory posted on the National Hurricane Center's Web site. It posed no immediate threat to land.

The center said it would send out a full advisory later Friday. Tropical storms have winds of at least 39 mph.

It was not immediately known if Dec. 30 was the latest date for the formation of a tropical storm in the Atlantic. But earlier this month, Hurricane Epsilon became only the fifth hurricane to form in December in 154 years of record-keeping. Hurricanes form when their winds exceed 74 mph.

[Chanticleer]

It just won't end!

[Chanticleer]

NautiNurse

[Chanticleer]

ping

[RightWhale]

Fortunately for the plan, zeta is not the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

[Chanticleer]

Yes, what would they do if they ran through the Greek alphabet? I hope we don't find out.

[al baby]

Ebonicbet?

[MsGail61]

Chinese characters?

[The_Republican]

Don't worry, Zorro would come to the rescue!

[RightWhale]

Got a plan for that, too. Hit singles by ABBA.

[Chanticleer]

lol, Which first -- Dancing Queen or Waterloo?

Poor Forecaster Franklin. You'd think these guys would be a bit punchy by now.

[manwiththehands]

Catherine Zeta ... oh, sorry.

[Chanticleer]

Can you believe this?

[ThanhPhero]

It is only recently that storms such as this one would even be noticed. A lot of the "intensified" storm activity is that we are seeing all of them now instead of just the ones that get in our way and we are measuring wind speeds now that we couldn't measure before. I remember when the top windspeed for a hurricane was "in excess of {about} 115 mph" because that's the speed at which the instruments blew away. Not too many years ago occasionally a storm would hit land somewhere as a surprise. Much of the increased (global warming, of course) storm activity is just that we see more of them.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Yes, what would they do if they ran through the Greek alphabet? I hope we don't find out."

Tropical Storm Omega does have an apocalyptic ring to it....

[Vasilli22]

You started it.

[Joe Brower]

Y'know, after two seasons, I'm just sort of ambivalent about these damned storms. I've done my best to think it through as to where I live, what I live in, height above sea level, etc., etc., and have storm prep that on paper will see me through a CAT 5. With luck, I'll never find out. You watch these things, prepare based on how close it's coming at you, and wait.

If my area gets blasted, the first thing I'll be doing is buying real estate.

[Chanticleer]

I'm sure the technology has improved, but windspeeds of 50mph... that's pretty decent, isn't it? Granted, it's in the middle of nowhere.

I thought this was interesting, from the NOAA website.

Has there ever been a Tropical Storm so late in the year before?

In 1954, Hurricane Alice2 developed on Dec 30th and lasted until Jan 6, 1955. Alice2 reached Category 1 hurricane intensity.

In 1978, Sub-Tropical Storm 1 developed Jan 18 and lasted until Jan 23. This system reached Tropical Storm intensity.

Still, what a weather year this has been!

[JellyJam]

Thank you ... that made my whole day!

[manwiththehands]

(chortle)

You guys gave me a chuckle in my otherwise miserable afternoon.

(Catherine Zeta-Jones ... sigh)