Tropical Storm Ike Forming in Atlantic, Hurricane Hanna Heading toward land and Gustav Heads across the Gulf of Mexico Leaving New Orleans in its Path

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Gustav is barely ashore - and still at hurricane strength as I write this - and to the east more trouble is brewing. Hanna finally reached hurricane strength this afternoon, and about midway between us and Africa, the ninth tropical storm of the season was born and immediately named Ike.




You may need a scorecard this week, as the remnants of Gustav continue to batter the country's midsection; Hanna begins to threaten the Southeast, and us by the weekend; Ike enters the picture from the Atlantic, and yet another storm brews off the coast of Africa and begins the long trek across the pond. Maybe the map above will help get you oriented.

Here's the rundown on Gustav. First is the latest advisory, showing Gus to be a minimal Cat. 1 storm this evening. Here's the forecast storm track, which looks take it on a long, slow curve back toward the Mississippi valley by week's end, leaving plenty of rain and flooding for Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. And here's the view from space.

Next is Hanna, which is nearly motionless east of the Bahamas. But she is expected to get a move on later this week, and could come ashore in Georgia or South Carolina by week's end. Here is the latest advisory. Here is the forecast storm track, which could become interesting for us by the weekend. And here is the view from orbit.

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Finally, here's Ike. The latest advisory; the storm track (aimed at the Bahamas for now), and the view from space.

If the newbie off Africa gets rolling, it will become Tropical Storm Josephine. Here's what the forecasters have to say about her:

A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED OVER THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC A COUPLE
HUNDRED MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS CONTINUES
TO SHOW SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. THIS SYSTEM HAS NOT YET ACQUIRED A
WELL-DEFINED SURFACE CIRCULATION CENTER. HOWEVER...ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THIS SYSTEM COULD
BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AT ANY TIME OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO AS
IT MOVES WESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH.


Here's our forecast for next weekend. Pretty wet. And here's how the forecast discussion from Sterling deals with it:

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THE FORECAST BECOMES RAPIDLY UNCERTAIN FRIDAY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HURRICANE HANNA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST AND TRAVEL NORTH ALONG THE
EDGE OF AN ATLANTIC RIDGE...WHICH AT THIS POINT LOOKS TO BE
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS ... CHANGES IN THE FORECAST SHOULD BE EXPECTED.

AT MINIMUM...HANNA WILL BRING RAINFALL TO THE FORECAST AREA BEGINNING
SOMETIME FRIDAY AND LINGER THROUGH AT LEAST PART OF THE WEEKEND.
THE WIND FORECAST IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN...AND COMPLETELY DEPENDENT
ON THE TRACK...TIMING AND INTENSITY OF HANNA.