Note: Scroll down to read the latest on what's happening in the tropics. Sorry for a lack of updates to the home page over the past couple weeks. Been dealing with some personal stuff. Nevertheless, I have been following the tropics still, and you can always check my blog as well as my Facebook and Twitter feeds for info and analysis.

Following the devastation from Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Irma picked up the slack in the tropics, and became the strongest storm ever in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean. It lasted with 185 mile per hour winds for 37 hours, or some 13 hours longer than Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded on earth. Irma also tied the 1932 hurricane as the longest lasting Category Five Hurricane on record.

Blog: Hurricane Irma Begins Her Assault on Florida Blog: Hurricane Irma Still A Cat 3 Hurricane As Outer Bands Hit South Florida Blog: Hurricane Irma Still A Very Powerful Cat 5 As It Closes in on Florida Blog: Monster Hurricane Irma Bears Down on Leeward Islands Blog: Hurricane Irma Intensifies to Category Four Storm Blog: Long Drought Between Major Hurricanes Contribute to Texas Disaster? Blog: Hurricane Irma Closing in on Northern Leeward Islands Blog: New Jersey Feels Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Texas Blog: Harvey’s Remnants Bring Some Rain to Garden State Updated: Hurricaneville's Historic Storms Hurricaneville Almanac--Updated with storms through 2016 Atlantic Storm Names (2017-2022) Eastern Pacific Storm Names (2017-2022) This Date in Hurricaneville History Past Storms in the Current Locations of Irma and Jose Longest Lasting Atlantic Storms Hurricaneville City Database Revised Saffir-Simpson Scale

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After Hurricane Harvey made history by becoming the first major hurricane to come ashore in the United States in almost 12 years, Irma took historic to a completely new level as it intensified into a monster hurricane that lasted with 185 mile per hour maximum sustained winds for over 37 hours to set a new all time duration record for a storm of such intensity. The previous mark was set by Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Western Pacific several years ago, but it was only for 24 hours.

Hurricane Irma also tied the 1932 Cuba Hurricane for lasting the longest as a Category Five Hurricane. Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University believes that when things are all said and done, Irma will end up being the second ranked hurricane or tropical cyclone of all time. Thankfully for residents in Southwestern Florida and the Florida Keys, Irma's strength and fury took a hit over the past several days because of its interaction with the mountains of Hispanola and Cuba, and gradually weakened to a Category Three Hurricane on Saturday.

Emerging from Northern Cuba this morning, Irma made a move toward the Florida Keys, and intensified back to a Category Four Hurricane with 130 mile per hour winds before making its first landfall at Cudjoe Key at about 9:10 AM EDT on Sunday morning. The storm hit the Florida Keys including Key Largo and Key West very hard before taking aim at a second landfall in Marco Island several hours ago, and then over Naples within the past hour and a half or so.

Hurricane Irma has weakened to a Category Two Hurricane with 110 mile per hour winds as it heads toward Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, which was hit hard in Hurricane Charley back in August 2004. The massive storm, which covers all of South Florida with ferocious rain and wind, and has hurricane force winds extending 80 miles from the eye and tropical storm force winds reaching out some 220 miles, is expected to impact the Tampa/St. Petersburg area this evening. See details on this in the blog.

In addition, there is another major hurricane out in the Atlantic that also bears watching over the next week or so. On the heels of Irma, Hurricane Jose developed in the Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands, and became the 2017 season's third major hurricane. Like Irma, the storm intensified to a monster storm, and almost reached Category Five status. The storm has since weakened, but still lurks in the Western Atlantic between the Northern Leeward Islands and the Bahamas. Details will be out on this storm later.

Meanwhile, another strong wave moved out into the Eastern Atlantic over the past couple days, and according to the latest outlook from the NHC, the tropical wave has a medium, or 60 percent chance of development over the next five days. Today, September 10th, is the historically statistical peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season on average. So, after a lull in July and early August, the Atlantic Tropics have rebounded with a vengeance as two major hurricanes have made landfall in the United States after none had come ashore for nearly 12 years. See details in the NHC's Tropical Weather Outlook.

View the latest advisories on Irma and Jose in the Atlantic as well as the latest Atlantic and Pacific outlooks from the NHC. All NHC products for Irma can be seen via this link. Jose's info can be seen by going here.

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