We thought we were going to have a "normal" week, with temperatures above what would be usual at this time and with no rain forecast, but Ophelia, a new tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, could leave significant rainfall in northwestern Spain.
It is a somewhat curious phenomenon, as it is not following the west-east course that cyclones usually follow, but is heading west, towards the Azores.
Ophelia, a very peculiar phenomenon
Current temperature of the Atlantic Ocean in Spain and Portugal.
Image - Meteociel.fr
A warm ocean, of about 22 degrees Celsius or more, is essential for a hurricane to form and stay for a longer or shorter time, but Ophelia is going to have it quite difficult. Although in this part of the world the temperature of the oceanic surface is higher than it should be, it is not quite warm enough for it to become as strong a hurricane as those that form in tropical waters. Even so, if it interacts with some cold air in height it could maintain the instability that will prolong the convection.
What is its possible trajectory?
Image - Accuweather.com
It is not yet clear which course he will take, but it is known that it is going to go west. Where exactly? It is not known. Perhaps it touches the northwest of Galicia, or is heading towards the United Kingdom. There are many doubts about it. Until now, what is known is that it has a pressure of 996mb, and maximum gusts of winds of 120km / h.
In any case, tomorrow, Thursday, it could reach the hurricane category, with gusts of wind exceeding 150km / h, but in case of passing through Galicia, something that could happen between Sunday and Monday, it would not arrive as a hurricane but as an extratropical cyclone having formed in non-tropical waters.
We will see what happens in the end.