This NOAA satellite image captured Tropical Storm Debby as it was taking shape Saturday afternoon.
The formation of the fourth tropical storm of any Atlantic Hurricane season has never occurred in June -- that was until Tropical Storm Debby took shape.
Debby developed at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday about 220 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
While there is more concern about which part of the Gulf Coast Debby will eventually threaten, the formation of Debby means another broken tropical weather record in less than a week.
"Zombie" Chris started the record-breaking week by becoming the earliest storm to be named north of a latitude parallel to the border of Virginia and North Carolina Tuesday afternoon.
Never before since record-keeping began in 1851 has the fourth tropical storm of any Atlantic Hurricane season been detected before July, a feat Debby achieved this year with a week to spare.
The above typical hurricane frequency chart is definitely not being followed this year.
Dennis came close to breaking that record in 2005, reaching tropical storm status in the eastern Caribbean on July 5.
Forming on July 7, Cindy in 1959 holds the distinction of being the second earliest fourth tropical storm in an Atlantic season. Cindy was not given a "D" name due to it being preceded by an unnamed hurricane.
It should be noted that before weather satellites--the first launched in 1960--became an important observation tool to meteorologists, some tropical storms may have gone undetected.
With an inevitable path toward a part of the Gulf Coast, the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center hopes that the system set to become Debby only breaks a record in regards to its early formation and not loss of lives or destruction.
A dangerous outbreak of severe storms will strike the northern High Plains and Canadian Prairies on Wednesday.
Join us on Thursday for AccuWeather LIVE as we will discuss the debate of climate change and hurricane frequency and the top five things you need to know about summer weather.
A tornado touched down at Denver International Airport as a severe weather system moved through the area.
A brief synopsis of the top five worst weather events of last summer.
Warmth is forecast to build over much of the eastern half of the nation by July, with Alaska of all places helping out.
Tropical Depression Two is strengthening over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and may hit the Mexico state of Veracruz as a tropical storm Thursday.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Philadelphia, PA (1994)
Strong thunderstorm winds blew off a large section
of a hanger roof and also damaged two aircraft.
New Brunswick, NJ (1835)
Great New Brunswick Tornado; 5 dead, 17-mile
path through the center of town; in all, 145
buildings were damaged. This is the worst tornado
catastrophe in New Jersey history to date.
Iowa (1998)
3-4" rains common across the state.
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