Tropical Storm Danny weakens a bit in the Atlantic

[samanthajane13]

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Danny has weakened a little in the Atlantic as it moves toward land while Ignacio has been downgraded to a tropical depression far out in the Pacific.

Forecasters say people in the Carolinas and northward to New England should monitor Danny's progress.

Danny's maximum sustained winds decreased to near 50 mph (85 kph) Thursday with slow strengthening possible over the next few days. Danny is centered about 545 miles (875 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and moving westward at 2 mph (3 kph).

In the Pacific, Ignacio has weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (55 kph). It's centered about 1,060 miles (1,710 kilometers) west of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090827/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/tropical_weather

[samanthajane13]

East Coast residents eye Tropical Storm Danny
By KEVIN MAURER, Associated Press Writer Kevin Maurer, Associated Press Writer – 30 mins ago

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. – Coastal residents looked ahead Friday to a late-summer weekend with fewer beach-loving tourists as Tropical Storm Danny kicked up rough surf that forecasters warned would be too risky for boaters and swimmers, though tempting for surfers.

For most residents of this community 40 miles north of the South Carolina line, Friday started as a normal, humid summer day with cloudy skies, no rain and chest-high waves crashing on the sand.

But for surf instructor Dave Houck, the building waves promised to be a weekend treat as Danny roiled well out to sea and was expected to churn north without hitting the mainland. He said he usually cancels classes when a tropical storm approaches, but he was on the strand Friday to coach some longtime students.

"This is what surfers love as far as the East Coast is concerned," said Houck, 33, of nearby Wilmington. "We don't want the mess. We just want the swells when the storm stays off shore."

On Friday morning the storm was centered about 350 miles (565 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras and moving northwest near 10 mph (17 kph). A turn to the north with an increase in speed was expected later in the day.

A tropical storm watch for the North Carolina coast was in effect Friday morning as Danny's maximum sustained winds of near 40 mph threatened to generate dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast. Small craft advisories were posted along the South Carolina coast.

On the Outer Banks island of Ocracoke, Anchorage Marina dock master Robert Raborn said the warnings of rough seas prompted the usual stream of weekend boaters crossing the Pamlico Sound to cancel reservations for overnight docking space.

"Pretty much everybody's canceled," said Raborn, 40.

The National Weather Service warned there could be swells as high as 7 feet offshore as the storm passed the area.

"We're not expecting a lot out of it. A little surf, a little wind and a little rain," Raborn said. "More than likely we'll have a beautiful weekend and no one to share it with."

As he wheeled out bikes and surfboards at Pleasure Island Rentals on Carolina Beach, Craig McGinnity said if anything the offshore storm could boost weekend traffic from people who enjoy the rough surf. Most North Carolina schools opened for the academic year on Tuesday, so fewer families were planning beach vacations.

"We should see an uptick in business as the storm goes by," McGinnity said. "If they close the beaches, I won't rent out surfboards because I don't want to put people in danger."

Sylvia Jones said her 30-mile drive to work in Wilmington Friday morning was clear, followed by passing rain and the sun warming through scattering clouds.

"I feel a little bit of the wind rustling, but the sun is coming out," she said. "It's just a typical weekend."

Meanwhile, officials on eastern Long Island are making emergency preparations for Tropical Storm Danny — even though it's expected to weakened considerably before reaching the waters off the New England coast this weekend.

Suffolk County spokesman Mark Smith says although Danny is barely a tropical storm, the area remains vulnerable to wave and wind erosion and coastal flooding.

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Associated Press writer Emery P. Dalesio contributed to this story from Raleigh, N.C.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090828/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Danny wets East Coast; Pacific storm strengthens
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS, Associated Press Writer Russell Contreras, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 44 mins ago

BOSTON – Heavy rain and dangerous rip currents from a weak tropical system emptied East Coast beaches for a second straight late-summer weekend, while a hurricane that could clip Mexico's coast next week grew stronger in the Pacific.

Jimena, the 10th named storm of the Pacific season, quickly became a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph).

Fueled by warm Pacific waters, Jimena could be a major Category 3 hurricane by Sunday as it tracked north-northwest at 12 mph about 655 miles (1,055 km) off the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It was 270 miles (435 km) south of Manzanillo, Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center's five-day forecast predicts the storm's center could pass offshore of the peninsula next week but come close enough to bring strong winds and churn up rough seas.

The sun still shone over Acapulco Bay on Saturday afternoon, though dark storm clouds loomed on the horizon. Sailboats dotted the sea despite government warnings for residents to take precautions. Farther north, in the resort town of Zihuatanejo, authorities warned small boats to stay ashore.

Farther out in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Kevin formed with top winds of 45 mph (75 kph). The storm's center on Saturday afternoon was about 1,065 miles (1,720 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. The storm could get stronger as it moves to the west-northwest, forecasters said.

Remnants of Tropical Storm Danny spun miles offshore in the Atlantic, causing mostly rain in the East. National Hurricane Center forecasters said Danny had been mostly absorbed by a low pressure system associated with a cold front over North Carolina.

"We were expecting that that was going to happen sooner or later. It happened a little bit sooner," said senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila. "Basically Danny has been swallowed by the big low."

In Boston, heavy rain fell on hundreds lining sidewalks as the funeral procession of Sen. Edward Kennedy passed through the city. A flood watch remained in effect for parts of Massachusetts as beaches were ordered closed and public ferry services in and around Boston were canceled. Cape Code and nearby islands were expecting 40 mph winds later Saturday.

"We getting a number of reports of 2 to 4 inches of rain in the area," said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. "Wind isn't a factor now, but a wind advisory is in effect for the islands until this evening."

Towns along the Connecticut shore were prepared for the storm and had sandbags and water pumps placed on standby.

Large waves kept most people out of the water at beaches along the New Jersey shore Saturday, the second straight weekend marred by a tropical storm system.

Waves as high as 6 to 8 feet were reported up and down the Jersey coast by late Saturday morning, and forecasters said the waves could be slightly higher as the day progressed. But those conditions were expected to improve during the overnight hours into Sunday, when wave heights were expected to return to normal.

No injuries were reported, though authorities in Fair Lawn, N.J., rescued nine people trapped in five vehicles along a flooded street.

In North Carolina, tropical storm watches for the coast were discontinued, but people were urged to be cautious near the water.

The dangers of storm-agitated seas were demonstrated when a young boy disappeared Friday in rough surf off North Carolina. His mother reported seeing him go underwater off the town of Corolla, not far from the Virginia line. His body board washed ashore without him.

The Coast Guard and local authorities spent hours looking for the 12-year-old boy but called off the search Friday evening and didn't expect to continue searching Saturday.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. j.g. Scott Hembrook said the waves in the area were about 4 to 6 feet tall.

In New York's Long Island, Nassau County's health department closed 20 beaches Saturday because of heavy rainfall. Suffolk County closed two beaches and advised against bathing at 64 more.

Storm water runoff often leads to sewage discharges and elevated bacteria levels on Long Island sound.

Health officials say the beaches will be reopened once tidal cycles have flushed the area.

___

Associated Press writers Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J.; Kevin Maurer in Carolina Beach, N.C.; and Emery P. Dalesio in Raleigh, N.C.; contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090829/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather