BALTIMORE — Less than a week after Helene made landfall in the United States, we once again keep our eyes out on the tropics. As of the 11 AM update on 9/30/2024, there are three named storms in the Atlantic basin and two areas of interest. The good news is all of the named storms look to pose no threat to us here in the United States and Maryland. The tropical waves, on the other hand, may eventually track toward the United States, but for now, the potential is low over the next two days for both.
The first named storm we will discuss is Issac. Issac is a post-tropical storm far out in the North Atlantic. Issac has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it moves off of the coast of Ireland. Issac has moved on to post-tropical status, meaning the storm has lost its tropical qualities. Yes, it still has strong winds and heavy rains, but has moved into much less favorable environments.
The next storm to discuss is Joyce. Joyce continues to struggle and weaken. Joyce is a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Joyce is slowly moving well north and east of Bermuda. Joyce is expected to dissipate in the next 48 hours.
Lastly, we have Kirk. Kirk is currently a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Kirk is still well far out in the Atlantic, but is expected to move into a more favorable environment and looks to become a hurricane in the next 24 hours and potentially a major hurricane by the end of the week. If Kirk becomes a major hurricane, that will be the third major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of today, long-range forecasts continue to keep Kirk well out to sea.
