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Tropical Update

Tropical Update

 

Most weather watchers this weekend will be on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a 50 to 70 percent chance that the current cluster of thunderstorms could become more organized and become a tropical depression or tropical storm within the coming days. The storm could bring flooding rain to the Yucatan Peninsula, western Cuba, and Florida.

Right now, it appears the storms will not pose any threat to North and Central GA, but keep in mind that tropical storm have a mind of their own depending on the size and strength of the system. It the cluster of thunderstorms reaches tropical storm status, it would be named “Debby!”

Hurricane Center May Investigate the Gulf

Hurricane Center May Investigate the Gulf

So the National Hurricane Center is most likely going to send a plane into the Gulf of Mexico to investigate what is known as Invest 96-L. As of this point in time the NHC is saying that there is a 70% chance of seeing this thing turn into a tropical that could then turn into a tropical storm named Debby. As you can see below the upper level winds are coming in pretty strong from the N NW which is somewhat preventing it from developing any further, but those winds are forecasted to weaken over the next 24 hours. The spaghetti plots take this thing into the Gulf of Mexico and then turn it towards the panhandle of FL. Check in with the blog and the 11alive.com weather page for updates over the next few days.

I will have a full update on the news at 11pm tonight, and Chesley will be all over it in the morning.

 

Possible Tropical Weather Next Week?

The latest blog is about the forecast for the next few days and a focus on the tropics!

 

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New FDA Sunscreen Labels

Effective this week, the FDA has issued new guidelines for sunscreen labels, and there are several major changes that you need to know about.

New Sunscreen Labels

New Sunscreen Labels

Effective this week, the FDA has issued new guidelines for sunscreen labels, and there are several major changes that you need to know about.

• No more SPF 100. Often, people grab whatever sunscreen is labeled with the highest SPF and assume it’s the best protection out there. It was that misleading fact that sparked the FDA to make "SPF 50+" the highest rating allowed on a product. Why? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, an SPF 15 product blocks 93 percent of UV rays,  SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, and SPF 50 blocks 98%, but once you go up to SPF 100 that number stays at 98%. However, the FDA will allow an SPF of higher than 50 if the company can prove that a product provides more protection than SPF 50. So far, none have been able to do so.

• No more "waterproof, sweatproof, and sunblock." These terms are too misleading, says the FDA.

It's Hot In Here!

It's Hot In Here!

Another warm day on tap. Partly to mostly sunny skies, with a 20% chance of isolated showers or T-Storms.

Atlanta maybe known for bringing the heat, but it was our friends to the north that felt the fire for the first day of Summer.
High temps and high humidity caused uncomfortable conditions for the Mid-West to the Mid-Atlantic States and up to the Northeast. Cities like Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York saw temps in the mid to upper 90s. Normal highs in many of these area should be in the low 80s.

A high-pressure system is parked off the East Coast, and since air travels clockwise around a high-pressure system, heat from the Southeast is being pulled toward the Northeast.
Asphalt and concrete could also be a contributor.

Summer solstice brings longest day of the year

ATLANTA -- Happy summer solstice! Wednesday is officially the first day of summer and the longest day of the year 2012. In fact, we will have just a little over 14 hours and 24 minutes of daylight. Compare that to the 9 hours and 5 minutes we have on the shortest day of the year at the end of December!

During the summer solstice, the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky at local noon. That doesn't mean the sun was exactly overhead at noon for us. That only happens along the Tropic of Cancer, which is about where Cuba is.

This year's summer solstice takes place a day earlier than it's been for the past three years due to the fact that this year was a leap year. In general the exact timing of the summer solstice is around June 21, but changes from year to year ranging from June 20-22th.