Tropical Cyclone Develops in Coral Sea
By Evan Duffey, Meteorologist
Feb 4, 2012; 9:04 PM ET
Visible Satellite Image of Jasmine from the U.S. Navel Research Laboratory
A tropical cyclone developed in the western Coral Sea off the coast of Australia late on Saturday local time. The system, named "Jasmine", is currently heading east through the Coral Sea.
Jasmine has already been upgraded to a Category 2 by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Lucky for Queensland residents, the system will be tracking away from the Cape York Peninsula today as it drifts east. However, rough surf is likely along the Great Barrier Reef for the time being.
However, the islands of the East Coral Sea may be in danger from the storm, which is currently modeled to head east to southeast. The largest islands in the potential path of the storm are New Caledonia and the Vanuatu chain of islands.
As the system drifts to the east, it should encounter favorable conditions for development. Ocean temperatures are warm and there is little wind shear in the area, meaning the system should have little resistance to strengthening.
Jasmine could easily be upgraded to a Category 3 storm on Sunday, which would upgrade the system from a tropical storm to a severe tropical storm.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 100° | Smyrna, TN |
| Low | 15° | Sunset Crater, AZ |
| Precip | 3.99" | Wadena, MN |
WeatherWhys®
Hail is much more common during the months of May and June compared to July and August. The main reason is the fact that the freezing level is usually higher during July and August as pockets of cold air in the upper atmosphere are less common as the jet stream weakens and retreats farther north.
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