Shouldn't it be Vincente?

October 9, 2005 1:56 PM

An odd hurricane season becomes odder.Meet Vince, the 23rd tracked topical low, and the 21st named storm of the near record setting 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season. But, where is he? Not here. Not even way over here. No, Vince is way over here -- and is headed towards Spain. Of course, this isn't the oddest place for a tropical cyclone. There was Catarina last year, forming the first hurricane ever recorded in the South Atlantic, and never mind what, to all eyes, appears to have been a hurricane in the Mediterranean Sea.
posted by eriko (30 comments total)

That's because someone is using hurricanes as weapons.
posted by oh pollo! at 2:07 PM on October 9, 2005

Of course, while I'm posting that, the new advisory comes out, and the discussion starts with "If it looks like a hurricane...it probably is...despite its environment and unusual location."

So, we now have Hurricane Vince. There's not much likelihood that Vince will do anything but fascinate metrologists and annoy shipping -- but given sea surface temps around ~23 degrees, considerably cooler than what is thought to support a tropical storm, there shouldn't be a tropical storm there at all -- much less one that strengthens to a hurricane.
posted by eriko at 2:07 PM on October 9, 2005

There is no global warming.
*sticks fingers in ears and sings loudly*
posted by spazzm at 2:15 PM on October 9, 2005

Not everything Iberian is Spanish, my friend... the central and southern Atlantic coastline of al Andalus is a little wedding present called Portugal, filled with even more beautiful women and incredible food. And tiles. Lots of tiles. And Fatima, which is kinda creepy.
posted by trinarian at 2:17 PM on October 9, 2005

I guess I'm not the only one who saw the warning transcript "near the Madeira islands" and thought of, well, Madeira, and all the other things great about Portugal.

This storm looks like a fluke that will dissipate though. Who knows what unusual conditions gave it birth but without the right fuel it cannot grow.
posted by vacapinta at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2005

I thought global warming was basically accepted as fact, but now we've moved on to arguing about whether it's man-made or part of a natural cycle.

Did I get the wrong memo?
posted by odinsdream at 2:53 PM on October 9, 2005

To mother nature I would just like to say this: bring it on.
posted by fleacircus at 2:58 PM on October 9, 2005

We must have angered the giant squid! That glowing blob we saw in the ocean awhile back was actually their atlantean hurricane device warming up. We are sorry giant squid!
posted by TwelveTwo at 3:04 PM on October 9, 2005

The demon in me wants to say: Party and make merry. No need now to worry about Kyoto, recycling your aluminum cans, or using too much toilet paper, when, soon enough, we'll be debating how many hunter-gathers can survive in the scorching deserts of New England or the tropical forests of the Yukon. --Mike Davis
posted by muckster at 3:12 PM on October 9, 2005

I thought global warming was basically accepted as fact, but now we've moved on to arguing about whether it's man-made or part of a natural cycle.


I thought evolution was basically accepted as fact...
posted by delmoi at 3:22 PM on October 9, 2005

It is, save for a very small percentage of morons in the midwest, as far as I know.
posted by odinsdream at 3:32 PM on October 9, 2005

Based upon what we know about tropical systems, such a storm can not exist in those conditions - what you are seeing is an artificial storm created by the Ori to punish us for our sins against them. There have been several, most were thwarted by SGC with help from the devilish Asgard but this might be the one they can not stop. It will grow in size until it covers most of Europe and the plague will come with it. We are all going to die soon because we would not bow to our gods.

Hallowed are the Ori.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 3:52 PM on October 9, 2005

Animation of posted meteosat

It spins it spins !!!! and maybe it vibrates.
posted by elpapacito at 3:55 PM on October 9, 2005

One thing I noticed about brazil is that poor people tend to live in these cement buildings. I assumed it was for hurricane protection, but apparently that's not an issue now?
posted by delmoi at 4:18 PM on October 9, 2005

> Shouldn't it be Vincente?

No, it should be Vicente.
posted by benzo8 at 4:53 PM on October 9, 2005

weretable and the undead chairs This last season of SG-1 was horrible.
posted by TwelveTwo at 5:08 PM on October 9, 2005

So no Ori references, it brings tears to my eyes. Lets return to saying, "OMG GLOBAL WARMING"
posted by TwelveTwo at 5:09 PM on October 9, 2005

> It is, save for a very small percentage of morons in the midwest, as far as I know.

Better make that "It is, save for 90% of the american public.".

Humanity is getting dumber by the minute.
posted by spazzm at 5:14 PM on October 9, 2005

Humanity is getting dumber by the minute.

Theory 1: Heat makes us stupid. Therefore, global warming is making us stupid.

Theory 2: Intelligence is fixed, the population is growing.

Theory 3: God is making us stupid. "Intelligent Design for Idiots."
posted by eriko at 5:29 PM on October 9, 2005

We are running out of letters in the English alphabet for storm names, and if we get two more storms, we will be starting on the Greek alphabet for the first time in history. Hurricane Alpha, here we come.
posted by rolypolyman at 7:07 PM on October 9, 2005

About 14% of the world’s tropical storms occur in the Atlantic. The majority of course develop in the much larger Pacific and in the Indian Ocean. It still entertains me to listen to the pronunciations of the pre-determined Typhoon names. The meanings of the names are entertaining too. Tropical storm names
posted by X4ster at 7:43 PM on October 9, 2005

Vicente is on both the Eastern N Pacific and Western N Pacific rotating lists. Vince is the name in place on the North Atlantic list; should it be retired, which is doubtful (it may not even be a hurricane by landfall), Vicente is probably one of the names they could add.

I thought global warming was basically accepted as fact, but now we've moved on to arguing about whether it's man-made or part of a natural cycle.

More Scientists Say Global Warming Causes Stronger Hurricanes

brazil ... hurricane protection

Brazil gets few hurricanes, except along the Caribbean coast. But concrete is a cheap construction material everywhere.
posted by dhartung at 8:59 PM on October 9, 2005

"If it looks like a hurricane...it probably is...despite its environment and unusual location."

Could also be a Microburst. Recent picture from the Pacific Northwest.

"Twenty years ago, a Delta Airlines jumbo jet was approaching the Dallas-Fort Worth airport when the crew noticed an ordinary summer thunderstorm in their path. The captain mentioned it to his co-pilot, but there was no indication that the crew was concerned.

On the final approach, the storm suddenly intensified. As the crew fought against a phenomenon they never knew existed, the Lockheed L-1011 bounced through the air and slammed down far short of the runway. It hit a car on a highway, bounced across a field and rammed into an airport storage tank .

That crash turned out to be one of the most important in aviation history.

One hundred and thirty-seven people were killed on Aug. 2, 1985 by a violent weather phenomenon whose existence had been denied for years by most of the aviation world.

Today, the phenomenon is called a "microburst," named by the meteorologists who fought for years to force aviation to pay attention to its dangers. Pilots now train regularly to survive it."

Twenty years later, to the day, Air France Airbus A340 crashes lands. A microburst is among the suspected causes.
posted by Feisty at 9:08 PM on October 9, 2005

Of course, this isn't the oddest place for a tropical cyclone. There was Catarina last year, forming the first hurricane ever recorded in the South Atlantic

Tropical cyclone Alby caused a bit of damage to Perth way back in 1978.

Check out the map and the path that sucker took. That is one tropical cyclone who is lost and far from home!
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:13 PM on October 9, 2005

Global warming aside, I'll bet rare appearances of hurricanes in uncommon locations have been happening for a long, long time. Rules like "there are no hurricanes in the South Atlantic" always seem kind of dumb to me, given the complexity of the chaotic systems involved.
posted by mediareport at 10:34 PM on October 9, 2005

Dude, Vince is drunk.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:57 PM on October 9, 2005

Better make that "It is, save for 90% of the american public.".

Humanity is getting dumber by the minute.
posted by spazzm at 5:14 PM PST on October 9 [!]

meh. I think that's misleading. 50% believe that "Man has developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life", it's just a majority of that group believe that god had a part in it. Is that really a surprise considering the percentage of the American public that is "religous"? I mean it's still not very encouraging, but I don't think your description is very accurate.

And when was humanity not dumb? Ohhh, dumber... /futurama
posted by Stauf at 11:50 PM on October 9, 2005

Stauf, you suck.

/drunk
//Whaddyamean, this isn't fark.com?
posted by spazzm at 6:20 AM on October 10, 2005

Vince just strikes me as a slacker. Most hurricanes leave home in Africa and make their way towards America to get work. Vince is like "screw that, I like it here, let's go to the Algarve."
posted by smackfu at 7:31 AM on October 10, 2005

Twenty years later, to the day, Air France Airbus A340 crashes lands. A microburst is among the suspected causes.

August 2nd: the day really odd things happen. Including Iraq invading Kuwait, and in 1934 President Hindenberg died, ushering in a wonderful new Reich for the German people.

It's also my birthday. Why do horrible things always happen on my birthday?!

/whiny aside
posted by Hildegarde at 8:41 PM on October 10, 2005