Once Near Category Five Strength Storm Weakens As It Closes in on Tiny Resort Island in Western Atlantic

Since Saturday night, Hurricane Joaquin continued on its weakening trend as it encounters less favorable conditions in the Western Atlantic. After reaching the maximum limit of Category Four strength with 155 mile per hour winds during the mid-afternoon on Saturday, Joaquin has been weakening. Over the last 24 hours or so, winds have dropped some 50 miles per hour while the barometric pressure has risen to 957 millibars, or 28.26 inches of Hg (Mercury). A rise of 24 millibars, or 0.71 inches of Hg. A rate of one millibar per hour.

Despite this weakening trend, Joaquin is still a force to be reckoned with as a strong Category Two Hurricane. The hurricane is closing in on the resort island of Bermuda in the Western Atlantic. The island is already experiencing tropical storm force winds, which is causing rough surf in places such as Port Bermuda (see live webcam footage at http://portbermudawebcam.com/). Conditions will continue to deteriorate in the afternon as the storm approaches from the west, and passes just to the west of Bermuda in the afternoon, and just to the north during the evening. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida is calling for a range of effects from the storm including: Tropical Storm force Winds, Tornadoes, Life Threatening Storm Surge, Rainfall amounts between 3 to 5 inches, and large ocean swells.

Currently, a Hurricane Warning is in effect for the island, and Joaquin is located less than 125 miles to the Southwest of Bermuda. The storm is moving to the Northeast at 15 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts of the United States are not out of the woods yet either in terms of the large swells from Hurricane Joaquin. The storm is currently making its closest approach to the United States mainland, and that will continue for about the next 24 to 30 hours before it pushes out to sea. As a result, the heavy surf, dangerous rip currents, elevated tide levels, and coastal flooding that has been plaguing coastal areas since at least Friday, is expected to continue for another day or so.

Here in Middlesex County, New Jersey, skies have finally cleared after the nor’easter pushed through on Friday and Saturday. Much of the rain had ended by Saturday night, but the clouds and windy conditions persisted into Sunday morning. Now, the skies have cleared, and the sun is out with plenty of blue skies. Winds are still a bit gusty though, and conditions are much worse along the coast in places such as South Amboy, Sayreville, Laurence Harbor, and Cliffwood Beach. We are still dealing with a tight pressure gradient between strong high pressure moving down from Canada and significantly low pressure from Joaquin. So, the gusty winds will still be a problem along with the easterly fetch causing problems along the coast. Total rain from the storm this weekend was about 0.90 inches at GWC in South Plainfield.