Alabama’s Coast Could See More Danger Due to Spiking Gulf Temps

There are 60 miles of Alabama shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico. Therefore, anything that concerns the Gulf Coast in general is a concern for Alabama.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with a peak season around the end of August through early to mid-September. As we have noticed, the activity in the tropics has certainly picked up.

Get our free mobile app

Now that we are reaching the peak of hurricane season, concerns are brewing about the mixture of a hurricane and extreme heat.

Studies have shown that there has been a trend of warming in the Gulf of Mexico over the past 50 years.

“The study shows that waters closest to the surface in the Gulf of Mexico have increased at a rate approximately twice that of the global ocean in the decades between 1970 and 2020,” said National Centers for Environmental Information.

What Fuels Hurricanes?

According to Ocean Today with NOAA, “the formation of a hurricane is complicated, but basically, it depends on 3 factors:

First, you need warm water, at least 80 degrees.
The second ingredient is moist air.
And finally, there needs to be converging winds for a hurricane to form

Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert for WPLG tweeted that “The Gulf of Mexico this week is the hottest it's been at any point in any year on record by a wide margin.”

Here is where the area of concern comes in, increasing ocean temperatures is like “adding fuel to a fire,” said Ocean Today.

When Two Concerning Weather Scenarios Collide

“An intense hurricane and extreme heat could be a deadly combination because storm destruction and widespread power outages would leave people exposed and vulnerable to heat,” Nikisha Williams, managing director of collective impact at The Miami Foundation told CNN.

The Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa weather center is closely monitoring these concerns during hurricane season. We will provide updates and coverage for any tropical issues concerning Alabama’s coast and for cities inland.

(Source) Click here for more insight from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Click here to follow the X (Twitter) page for Michael Lowry from WPLG. Click here for more details from CNN. Click here for more information from Ocean Today.