Tropical Storm Oscar Dissipates After Fatal Strikes in Cuba
Tropical Storm Oscar has weakened while heading toward the Bahamas after causing six fatalities and significant rainfall in Cuba, where heavy flooding was reported. The storm, noted as the smallest recorded hurricane, transitioned back toward the Bahamas as its remnants are expected to produce additional rain. The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season continues to pose risks, with forecasts indicating further storm developments in the coming week.
Tropical Storm Oscar has dissipated as it approached the Bahamas after causing significant casualties in Cuba, where it made landfall earlier this week as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm resulted in the tragic loss of at least six lives and brought torrential rain to areas already suffering from a massive power outage. As of Tuesday afternoon, the remnants of the storm were situated approximately 75 miles east-southeast of Long Island in the Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds decreased to 35 mph, while the system moved northeastward at 12 mph. Forecasters predict that Oscar’s remnants may bring an additional four inches of rainfall to the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Notably, Oscar has been recorded as the smallest hurricane in history, with a wind field of merely six miles, surprising meteorologists when it made landfall on Grand Inagua Island on Saturday and subsequently affected eastern Cuba. According to hurricane specialist Michael Lowry, the forecasting models failed to anticipate Oscar’s intensification into a hurricane, highlighting a significant shortcoming in weather prediction. During its passage, Oscar unleashed up to 15 inches of rainfall in parts of eastern Cuba on Monday, prompting warnings regarding potential flooding and landslides. The fatalities occurred in Guantánamo province. This storm has compounded challenges for Cuba, which is currently grappling with a recovery from a large-scale blackout that stirred public protests and a governmental warning against civil unrest. Oscar is recognized as the 15th named storm and the 10th hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. Meteorological forecasts suggest that another storm may emerge in the central Caribbean in the coming week, indicating that the Atlantic could experience continued hurricane activity as November approaches. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season due to record-high ocean temperatures, with projections of 17 to 25 named storms and four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. In the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kristy continues its course, located 470 miles west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph; it is forecasted to strengthen into a hurricane shortly.
Tropical Storm Oscar developed during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Oscar surprised many meteorologists as it metamorphosed from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane shortly after making landfall in the Bahamas and ultimately impacting Cuba. The Atlantic hurricane season has been marked by unusually warm ocean temperatures, leading experts, including those from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to forecast an above-average occurrence of named storms and hurricanes this year. In light of Oscar’s destruction, Cuba, still reeling from recent power outages and social unrest, faced further challenges.
In summary, Tropical Storm Oscar has left a significant impact on Cuba, where it claimed six lives and caused heavy flooding, before dissipating en route to the Bahamas. This weather event serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of tropical storms, particularly in light of the challenges faced by Cuba including its ongoing energy crisis. With projections of further storm development in the region, the threat of adverse weather conditions remains a pressing concern as the hurricane season progresses.
Original Source: www.stripes.com