Twin storms in the Pacific, Quiet Atlantic

First of all, sorry for the long absence. This was due to several internet problems. Fortunately, the Atlantic basin has remained mostly quiet, and we still have had no named storm. It has been 17 years since we've had to wait this long for our first named storm, and with the computer models forecasting no development in the Atlantic for a while we may have to wait even longer before Tropical Storm Ana finally arrives on the scene. The inactivity of the Atlantic can be attributed to current El Nino conditions, which typically results in less storms in the Atlantic and more in the Pacific. The Atlantic Ocean between the Lesser Antilles and the western coast of Africa is full of dry air and dust from the Sahara Desert. Anything which tried to develop there right now would be "choked" out of existence very quickly.

Still, I'm expecting at least one storm to develop in the Atlantic before the end of August, and a total of between 10 and 13 named storms is likely this year in the Atlantic basin.

In the East Pacific there are two storms, very close to each other. One is Enrique, which is a tropical storm that isn't likely to amount to much, although it seems to be trying to develop an eyewall. Intensification is being limited by Felicia, to it's southwest, which has impressively strengthened overnight and has powered up to a major hurricane. Dvorak satellite estimates indicate it is now a Category 4 hurricane packing sustained winds of 125 knots (145 mph) with a central pressure of 941mb. Felicia now has a "pinwheel eye" (named such due to the appearance of clouds in it's eye - it's a sign of a powerful hurricane), but it is beginning to lose some convection in it's northwestern quadrant, and it will be moving into cooler waters tonight as it tracks northwest and eventually west, and so gradual weakening is expected over the coming days. What's interesting is that it is expected to impact Hawaii in some form later on, likely in five or six days time. By this time, however, it is forecasted to be a tropical depression. Still, the islands may get some bad weather from this system.

More later.