A former NOAA meteorologist and 40-year veteran of hurricane predictions believes Irma will continue to move move west toward Florida and reach near the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula around Sunday, September 11th, as a major category 4 hurricane.
Irma eerily similar to Hurricane Donna’s (1960) track. Public Domain image.
Both David Dilley of Global Weather Oscillations and the National Hurricane Center now believe Irma will make landfall near the southern tip of Florida, from near or just west of Miami to just west or near Jacksonville and then run up the coast into eastern Georgia.
Dilley adds: “It all depends on exactly when it makes the turn to the north – just 20 miles makes a big difference. Historical tracks favor a landfall near or south of Miami.”
Predictions based on natural cycles
Dilley had predicted a harsh hurricane season already back in early February, long before most forecasters were ready to go public with their forecasts.
In his February forecast, he predicted that the USA’s record 12-year run without a major hurricane hit would end in a big way.
He also predicted that the southern tip of Florida would be hit by a major hurricane, one that would move northward through the state after making landfall, and that this southern Florida zone overall would enter the strongest and most active hurricane cycle since the period from 1945 to 1950 (65 to 70 years ago).
Dilley wrote in an e-mail that during this 6-year active period, five out of the 6 years had hurricanes, and some years had multiple landfalls, adding:
There were a total of 8 hurricanes during this 6-year period, and 6 of the 8 hurricanes were major Category 3 to 5 hurricanes.”
So far his predictions for the current season have been impressively accurate. Dilley says he is tracking 4 historical analog years that are like the 2017 season, noting that hurricane patterns have a strong tendency to repeat in cycles.
He reminds us that three of the 6 landfalls from 1945 to 1950 were major hurricanes, with 2 of them being strong Category 4 hurricanes. There were also two category 3 hurricanes – and only one hurricane was a Category 1.
The analog years he used for forecasting the current season go back to 1910.
The bottom line, says Dilley: “This Southern Florida zone has entered the most active and dangerous cycle in 65 to 70 years. About 70% of the hurricanes that strike this zone are major hurricanes.” This year mostly likely will not be any luckier.
No global warming – “all using natural cycles”
On what’s behind the hurricanes, the 40-year veteran does not believe it has anything to do with manmade global warming and higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations. According to Dilley: “I nailed it 8 months in advance and the likely Texas hurricane – all using natural cycles of the earth-moon-sun interactions – and No Global Warming.”
While most models predict little danger from now forming José, Dilley wrote that it will develop into a hurricane and that there’s a chance José “could pose a New England threat near the 21st“.
A New England hurricane hit was also among Dilley’s predictions from earlier this year.
There is no demonstrable link between atmospheric CO2 and the power of tropical storms. On labor day of 1935 when atmospheric CO2 levels were at about 300 ppm the most intense hurricane to strike the United States came ashore in the Florida Keys. Irma is that kind of storm. A monster that is likely to be weakened only by a land fall. Only if it directly strikes Hispaniola and/or Cuba where the mountains would weaken it considerably will the mainland of the US be spared being hit by what will most likely be the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. Conditions for strengthening further are excellent and Dr. Ryan Maue has said that wind speed of 200 mph at the 10 meter level are a possibility. If the Saffir-Simpson wind scale were extrapolated out to include a CAT VI that is what Irma would be with 185 mph sustained winds right now.
Camille in 1960 reached speeds of 210 mph.
Gusts yes, one minute sustained max was 190 mph for Camille and Allen.
Dr. Maue was talking 1 minute sustained at 10 meters for the 200 mph for Irma. It already has 185 mph sustained and conditions for strengthening along it’s projected path are excellent.
Some footage until the storm destroys the camera:
0:59
Live footage as Hurricane Irma destroys Maho Beach Cam in St Maarten 9/6/2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5qYrboTUE
[…] A former NOAA meteorologist and 40-year veteran of hurricane predictions believes Irma will continue to move move west toward Florida and reach near the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula around Sunday, September 11th, as a major category 4 hurricane. Both David Dilley of Global Weather Oscillations and the National Hurricane Center now believe Irma will make landfall near the southern tip of Florida, from near or just west of Miami to just west or near Jacksonville and then run up the coast into eastern Georgia. Dilley had predicted a harsh hurricane season already back in early February, long before most forecasters were ready to go public with their forecasts.So far his predictions for the current season have been impressively accurate. click here to read the story 10:20 […]
If hurricane Harvey was releasing the equivalent energy of 1 million Hiroshima bombs per day imagine the amount of energy being released by the three hurricanes present now!
I’m no expert in this matter, so I’ll just defer to Jennifer Lawrence, who says this storm is due to mother nature’s anger with Donald Trump. There were no storms like this during Obama’s administration, after all. 😏
Sunday’s date is September 10th. Not 11th.