Tropical Storm Imelda will not impact the southeastern United States, as initially anticipated. Instead, influenced by the powerful Hurricane Humberto, it is making a sharp turn into the Atlantic Ocean, sparing the U.S. from its possible effects. Over the past weekend, Hurricane Humberto reached Category 5 status with winds peaking at 160 mph, significantly affecting Imelda’s trajectory. Currently, Imelda is tracking along a similar northeasterly path.
The FOX Forecast Center attributes Imelda’s deviation to multiple weather systems, including Humberto to the east and a significant jet stream dip in the North Atlantic, redirecting the storm away from the U.S. Stephen Morgan, a FOX Weather Meteorologist, noted Humberto’s role, stating, “A storm of that magnitude really does make a significant dent in the steering flow.”
By Tuesday morning, Imelda is expected to veer sharply right, moving further into the Atlantic by Wednesday. FOX Weather Meteorologist Marissa Torres emphasized the importance of examining various models when forecasting tropical cyclones, highlighting Humberto’s influence on the complexity of Imelda’s forecast. She metaphorically described Humberto as the “big brother” guiding Imelda along its path.
Though there has been discussion about the Fujiwhara Effect—a phenomenon where two cyclones influence each other’s path by creating a shared center—meteorologist Stephen Morgan clarified that Imelda and Humberto’s interaction does not meet this standard. He explained, “We have these two systems… But as quickly as they clog, they’re going to escape fast,” indicating the storms’ proximity isn’t sufficient to form a Fujiwhara effect, though there is some mutual influence.
Both storms are keeping Bermuda vigilant with a potential consecutive impact. Humberto is expected to pass north of Bermuda starting Tuesday, bringing tropical storm conditions, followed by Imelda, which may pass Bermuda later Wednesday into Thursday, possibly delivering an additional 2-4 inches of rain.
Overall, the avoidance of a Fujiwhara scenario and the influence of strong weather systems like Humberto are turning Imelda away from the U.S., highlighting the dynamic nature of hurricane forecasting and the importance of comprehensive model analysis.