As Harvey moves away from the Gulf Coast, a new storm is brewing in the Atlantic and forecasters are monitoring the potential for yet another storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Irma is expected to become a formidable cyclone, and its path puts the Caribbean and the Southeast U.S. coast at risk. It’s too soon to predict exactly where it will track once it reaches the Caribbean. But this time of year, history has taught us that these kinds of storms — beasts that form just off the coast of Africa, near the equator — are not to be ignored. Irma is forecast to intensify significantly: There’s essentially zero vertical wind shear, very warm water temperatures, humid air and a robust preexisting circulation. In layman’s terms, conditions are ripe. Irma is expected to become the season’s second major hurricane — Category 3 or stronger. Irma should be in the vicinity of the Lesser Antilles in about a week. read more https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...co-and-atlantic-ocean/?utm_term=.9759864d075c
