JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Ian, a larger than average tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean, is now a little stronger.
Turning more northerly, it is highly anticipated that he will remain well out to sea.
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It took all weekend, but the large area of storms that we have been tracking since last week finally organized into Tropical Storm Ian Monday morning. It was very apparent on early morning satellite pictures that Ian had finally developed a closed circulation.
Interestingly, a polar orbiting satellite, which measures waves sizes and thereby infers wind speeds, was able to detect winds of tropical storm strength.
The National Hurricane Center used this information to determine that Ian was the ninth named tropical system of the year.
At 11 p.m. Monday, the center of Tropical Storm Ian was 1,000 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving to the northwest at near 13 mph. The National Hurricane Center the storm had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and a turn to the north-northwest is expected over the next day or two On this forecast track, the center will continue to move over the Central Atlantic, then turn north and north-northeast later in the week, keeping it over the open ocean.
NHC forecasts Ian to remain at sea as a "fish storm." The NHC also does not expect to strengthen Ian to hurricane strength due to a large upper-level low "trough" which may keep him weak the next week as he races northward towards Greenland by this weekend.
Additionally, being so far east of Jacksonville and not becoming a hurricane, surfers locally will be disappointed to see few waves from Ian.
The next name on this year's hurricane list is Julia. At this time there are no other serious threats in the tropics, so it could be a while before we hear her name.