Peter Chan: August 2009 Archives

This Tuesday evening... Hurricane Bill became the first major hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season.  Bill became a strong Category 3 storm packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.  Bill will likely further strengthen on Wednesday and could become a Category 4 storm.  At this time... Bill is out in the Atlantic Ocean and not an immediate threat to land.  Current computer model forecasts take the hurricane south and then west of Bermuda on Friday and Saturday... and keep it just off the coast of the Northeast U.S. later in the weekend.  Bill could strike Nova Scotia and/or the Canadian Maritimes late Sunday into Sunday night.  For more information on Hurricane Bill and tropical weather in general... please visit the National Hurricane Center website at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

A potent upper level system will drive a stronger cold front through Lower Michigan on Thursday.  As a result... the threat of strong to severe thunderstorms could occur from late Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon.  Some storms could produce damaging winds... hail... brief heavy rain... and frequent lightning as indicated in the Day 3 Storm Prediction severe weather outlook.  Cooler temperatures and scattered showers will follow on Friday.  High pressure will build into the region over the weeknd providing clearing skies and comfortably cool temperatures.  Stay tuned to later forecasts for Thursday.

The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak late this Tuesday night into the predawn hours of Wednesday morning.  Typically, 30 to 60 meteors might be visible per hour from a dark location... away from city lights with no interference from the moon.  This year... meteor scientists are predicting the possibilty for an outburst of meteors around 3 AM when hourly rates could briefly climb to around 200 meteors per hour.  We will have good weather conditions across West Michigan overnight for viewing the Perseids with mostly clear skies... comfortably cool temperatures in the mid and upper 50s and a light wind.  However... the moon will be one day before last quarter phase.  The added moonlight will washout many of the fainter meteors.  Regardless of that... it will be fun to go outside later tonight and enjoy the show!

  Comfortable temperatures and humidity levels will prevail overnight through Thursday.  Look for comfortably cool temperatures tonight with lows in the 50s and a full "Sturgeon" moon illuminating the night sky.  Thursday is shaping up to be partly sunny with highs in the upper 70s. A surge of hot and humid air will arrive into southern Lower Michigan later Saturday afternoon and evening and hold through Monday.  Showers and thunderstorms will be possible Friday night into Saturday morning in advance of the hot and humid air.  Some storms could be strong and produce heavier rainfall.  Hot and very humid conditions will prevail Saturday night and Sunday with nighttime lows in the 70s and daytime highs of 90 to 95!  You have been forewarned.  Find a way to beat the heat this weekend!