For first time ever, drone sent into eye of Cat. 4 hurricane

 By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer

Updated Sep. 30, 2021 7:28 PM EDT

A drone ship operated by Saildrone Inc. and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has gone "where no research vessel has ever ventured" to capture footage from the eye of Hurricane Sam. According to Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins, the achievement will change scientists' understanding of hurricanes as we know it.

"This is an amazing victory for meteorology and will increase our knowledge of hurricanes," AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said of the groundbreaking mission. He was not involved with the operation.

Sam reached major hurricane strength on Saturday, Sept. 25 when it became a Category 3 storm. On Thursday, Sept. 30, the storm had still maintained major hurricane strength with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane. AccuWeather meteorologists forecast that the storm will continue to be a major hurricane into the weekend.

The first videos from the un-crewed surface vehicle, called the Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, were released on Sept. 30.

A brief video from a sailing drone inside Hurricane Sam's eye on Sept. 30, 2021 (Saildrone)

According to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell, NOAA scientists were able to send the saildrone straight into the eye of the storm, where they were then able to record wind gusts reaching 91 mph and waves reaching 42 feet in height.

A graph displaying data from the Saildrone shows wind speeds maxing out at 40.5 m/s (92 mph) and waves as high as 12.8 m (42 feet). (NOAA/Saildrone)

Hurricane Sam also passed over a NOAA buoy on Wednesday night as it made its way through the Atlantic Ocean. The buoy was able to record waves almost 40 feet tall and wind gusts peaking at 98 mph.

"Buoys are hundreds of miles apart in the open ocean. That was just chance," said Ferrell. "Now imagine being able to have a mobile buoy that you can place in front, or drive into, the storm. That's what NOAA and Saildrone did today."

SD 1045 is one of five drone ships that have been gathering information on hurricanes throughout the Atlantic during the 2021 hurricane season, according to a press release from Saildrone.

A map showing the Sail drone's path, and position of Hurricane Sam at 2 p.m. AST Thursday (NOAA).

“Saildrone is going where no research vessel has ever ventured, sailing right into the eye of the hurricane, gathering data that will transform our understanding of these powerful storms,” Jenkins said. “After conquering the Arctic and the Southern Ocean, hurricanes were the last frontier for Saildrone survivability. We are proud to have engineered a vehicle capable of operating in the most extreme weather conditions on earth.”

The data retrieved from SD 1045's mission was sent directly to the NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). The data will provide vital information to the NOAA regarding hurricane intensification.

“Using data collected by saildrones, we expect to improve forecast models that predict rapid intensification of hurricanes,” NOAA Oceanographer Greg Foltz said. “Rapid intensification, when hurricane winds strengthen in a matter of hours, is a serious threat to coastal communities. New data from drone ships and other un-crewed systems that NOAA is using will help us better predict the forces that drive hurricanes and be able to warn communities earlier.”

Hurricane Sam's eye spins on the afternoon of Sept. 30, 2021 (NOAA/CIRA)

According to DePodwin, ships and other vessels typically avoid coming into contact with hurricanes due to the dangerous nature of the storms that could easily lead to a sunken or damaged ship.

SD 1045 was successfully able to enter the eye of Hurricane Sam because its design was created with the intention of traveling through these dangerous waters, reducing the risks significantly. The drone was built with a "hurricane wing" specifically for the purpose of operating through harsh hurricane conditions, such as extreme winds.

"Just like flying planes into hurricanes revolutionized how we track storms, the use of a drone ship will unlock things we never knew about the conditions on and near the surface of the ocean in the middle of a storm," DePodwin said. "One can envision a future where both planes and drone ships complement each other in understanding the science of the inner workings of a hurricane."

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Steadfast Sam to make run at top 5 list of long-duration major Atlantic hurricanes

 By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Updated Sep. 30, 2021 11:03 PM EDT

Mighty Sam has maintained its major hurricane force, meaning a cyclone of Category 3 strength or greater, since 11 a.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 25, while churning over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. AccuWeather meteorologists believe that Sam could remain a powerful major hurricane into this weekend as it passes a couple hundred miles to the east of Bermuda. And in doing so, it could make a run at the top-five list for long-duration major hurricanes in the basin.

As of Thursday evening, Category 4 Hurricane Sam continued to pack 145-mph maximum sustained winds, which is 12 mph shy of Category 5 strength. Sam was churning over the Atlantic Ocean about 550 miles to the south-southeast of Bermuda and was moving toward the north-northwest at 16 mph.

The relatively small but intense hurricane is forecast to take a similar path east of Bermuda as Larry did just weeks ago.

As a precaution due to the approach of Sam, the Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda, but AccuWeather meteorologists believe that significant impacts on the islands will be limited to rough seas and surf.

Larry passed about 170 miles east of the islands on Sept. 9, but at the time, tropical storm-force winds extended up to 220 miles outward from Larry's center with hurricane-force winds reaching out 90 miles from its center. Bermuda experienced some rain and almost tropical storm-force wind gusts from Larry as it moved east of the islands.

In comparison, Sam is much smaller in size than Larry. As of Thursday evening, hurricane-force winds extended 60 miles outward from its center with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 150 miles.

"Sam is likely to still be a major hurricane as it passes by about 225 miles to the east of Bermuda early this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.

There is a chance that Sam will hold onto maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or greater, which is the minimum threshold for a major Category 3 hurricane, well into this weekend. If the hurricane sustains this intensity into Sunday morning, Sam could eclipse Edouard from 1996 and take the title of fifth longest-lasting major hurricane to ever churn in the Atlantic. Edouard spent 186 straight hours, or seven and three-quarter days, as a major hurricane. As of Thursday midday, Sam had maintained major hurricane status for 120 straight hours or five days.

There are some notorious hurricanes on the same top-five list, according to Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State University meteorologist. These include Isabel from 2003 at 192 hours (eight days), Irma from 2017 at 210 hours (eight and three-quarter days) and Ivan from 2004 at 240 hours (10 days). Fabian from 2003, which struck Bermuda head-on, sits at number seven on the list at 174 hours or seven and one-quarter days.

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"Sam's small size and distance from Bermuda will minimize impacts, but showers and gusty winds, along with dangerous surf, will affect the islands on Friday and Saturday," Douty said.

Hurricane Sam, northeast of the Leeward Islands, is shown on the AccuWeather RealVue™ Satellite on the afternoon of Sept. 30, 2021. Check out our photo gallery for more amazing photos of Hurricane Sam.

Even though Sam is much smaller than Larry was when it cruised the central Atlantic, swells generated by Sam will reach outward. An increase in wave and rip currents is forecast along the shores of the United States east coast into this weekend. Waves and rip currents can be strong enough to pose dangers to bathers from northeastern Florida to New England this weekend.

The heaviest seas will generally remain east of Bermuda into this weekend but will build north of Bermuda during the weekend and into early next week, due to Sam's forecast track and the fact that the storm is expected to grow in size.

At the same time, as Sam shifts to the northeast of Bermuda, the hurricane will gradually encounter progressively cooler waters and begin to weaken.

Sam will interact with a non-tropical system, and that can cause rain and wind to expand over Atlantic Canada early next week, even if the center of Sam stays a couple hundred miles to the east. During that time, Sam itself is likely to be transitioning to or will have already transitioned to a non-tropical system.

"Direct impacts to Atlantic Canada look minor and perhaps on par with that of Bermuda, but a track farther west would bring some rain and strong wind gusts to the island of Newfoundland early next week," Douty said.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Victor is moving to the west-northwest through the Atlantic Ocean. Victor is the 20th named tropical storm this year, and there is only one more name, Wanda, on the designated list for this season.

AccuWeather is expecting up to 25 named storms, so a supplemental list of names set forth by the World Meteorological Organization last spring is likely to be utilized for the first time.

Already AccuWeather meteorologists are eyeing the next trouble spot to emerge in the basin. Forecasters are expecting a broad area of unsettled weather to develop over the central Caribbean to the Bahamas and over waters near the southern Atlantic coast. There will be potential for tropical development to take place starting next week and lasting through next weekend.

It may be possible for more than one system to brew in this zone, but not all of the systems may be fully tropical in nature. It's possible that a sub-tropical system, which has both tropical and non-tropical characteristics, could develop.

The last subtropical storm, Teresa, formed just under a week ago to the north of Bermuda.

Whether any tropical or sub-tropical systems take shape or not, the pattern along much of the eastern third of the U.S. and coastal waters has the potential to be unsettled with vast areas of clouds and rain much of next week.

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'It's a bit scary': Statue of drowning girl prompts visceral reactions

 As the tide levels change, the head of a drowning girl appears, and then disappears again. The statue's creators say it's a reflection of the effects of a force that is unsettling for many around the world.

By Zachary Rosenthal, AccuWeather staff writer

Updated Sep. 30, 2021 2:52 PM EDT

A hyperrealistic and creepy statue of a young girl's head floating in the River Nervion in the center of the port city of Bilbao in northern Spain is unsettling residents and inspiring dialogue around a topic that indeed is unsettling for many around the world: climate change.

The young girl, with her unblinking eyes and calm expression, is plunged under the water as the tides rise before emerging again, a cycle that repeats over and over, day after day.

The statue's creator, Mexican artist Ruben Orozco, created the statue entitled "Bihar" ('Tomorrow' in Basque) for a campaign by the BBK Foundation, a charity run by the Spanish bank Kutxabank, to start a debate around sustainability and climate change, Reuters reported. The art installation is intended to be a reflection on what could happen "if we continue to bet on unsustainable models" like those that contribute to climate change, BBK said.

As the tides shift, the head of the young girl slowly emerges from the murky depths.

Orozco told Spanish news website Nius that the statue aims to make people realize that "their actions can sink us or keep us afloat."

Those who have walked by the statue have had visceral reactions to the art and its meaning.

"It's spectacular; it's a bit scary," one woman commented, according to Ruptly. "Now the tide is a bit low, but when it rises, and I suppose you'll see it there, it's a bit scary. It's so realistic that it looks like it's drowning," she added.

A passerby glances at the 'Drowning Girl' statue in the River Nervion.

(Ruptly)

Bilbao residents were surprised by the statue's sudden appearance. The more than 2-meter-tall (about 6.5-feet-tall) figure was placed in the River Nervion in the middle of the night on Sept. 23.

"I'm a bit shocked by the serene countenance she has with regard to the idea that she is drowning and she is getting covered more and more by the water, depending on the tide I imagine it will change," said a passerby.

A warming climate causes sea levels to rise across the world, making flooding caused by the natural cycle of the tides more and more common. In the United States, high tide flooding is anywhere from 300 to 900 percent more frequent than it was 50 years ago.

The statue was installed just after the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and following a summer that brought numerous extreme weather disasters all around the world, many of which climate scientists have suggested were exacerbated by the effects of global warming. The month of July 2021 earned the dubious distinction as the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to NOAA.

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Tropical Storm Victor could strengthen into a hurricane

AccuWeather forecasters say there is a window for the tropical storm to become a hurricane briefly over the open Atlantic, but it is not expected to be a threat to land.

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Updated Sep. 30, 2021 11:01 PM EDT

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In this image taken Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, Tropical Storm Victor was seen in the eastern Atlantic. (NOAA/CIRA)

The newest tropical storm of the 2021 hurricane season developed Wednesday afternoon over the eastern Atlantic, claiming the name Victor, the second-to-last moniker on the season's first list.

The system had previously been dubbed Tropical Depression 20, forming Wednesday morning before quickly strengthening through the day. It was located about 585 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands as of Thursday evening with maximum sustained winds reaching 60 mph.

Conditions will be favorable for strengthening over the next couple of days, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins.

"A brief window will exist for the storm to then strengthen into a hurricane, but increasing wind shear and drier air will likely reverse this trend with a gradual loss of wind intensity likely to occur later this weekend into next week," Adkins said. "As it currently stands, this storm will not pose a direct threat to land, though residents in the Azores should monitor the progress of this system closely," Adkins said, referring to the island chain in the Atlantic about 950 miles west of Portugal.

Forecasters expect south to southwest steering breezes to develop over the central Atlantic in the vicinity of Tropical Storm Victor. These breezes will curve the system northward over the east-central part of the basin and well away from the Caribbean Islands, Bermuda and North America from this weekend into next week.

Victor is one of two areas of disturbed weather that forecasters have been monitoring over the eastern Atlantic.

A few hundred miles farther to the west of the tropical storm and several hundred miles to the southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, another area of disturbed weather, also known as a tropical wave, appeared to be poorly organized as of Wednesday and had all but fallen apart on Thursday. The delay in the organization is highly likely to prevent this more western tropical wave from evolving into a tropical depression and storm.

The lack of development thus far is significant for the Leeward and Windward islands as this more western feature was more likely to reach the islands during the early or middle part of next week. The delay in development may allow increasing wind shear near the Leewards and Windwards to totally prevent the storm's formation.

"A broad area of wind shear is forecast to ramp up this week and persist in the wake of Hurricane Sam," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. In this case, stiff breezes will develop and expand from the west and southwest at mid-levels of the atmosphere.

"This belt of wind shear will extend from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to the central Atlantic and is likely to be at its peak this weekend," Rayno added. Any tropical feature that tries to form or move into the belt of zone of wind shear is likely to struggle.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, in addition to Sam, what was once Peter seems to have missed its chance to redevelop. A slight swirl of clouds southwest of Peter will be monitored for organization, but wind shear may prevent any strong evolution of that disturbance.

The area from the Caribbean to the Atlantic shores of the United States may be a source of trouble over the next week.

There is some early indication that one or more areas of low pressure may develop from the Caribbean to the Bahamas and perhaps as far to the north as the Carolina coast next week. There is the potential for a tropical system to evolve in this broad area of low pressure, and the region will need to be watched. Lingering or shifting wind shear may act as a deterrent against rapid development.

The zone from just off the Florida Atlantic coast to the Bahamas and the central Caribbean may be the most likely spot for a system to organize.

"An anticipated southward dip in the jet stream over the eastern U.S. may pick up any low pressure in the southwestern part of the Atlantic basin and guide it northward next week, and there is some chance that the low center could take on some tropical characteristics," Adkins said. However, if the jet stream does not pick up this low center, assuming it develops in the first place, then conditions may become more favorable for tropical development by the following weekend.

Regardless of tropical development in the southwestern part of the Atlantic basin, a broad zone of unsettled weather conditions may evolve with areas of clouds, rain and thunderstorms from the Caribbean to the Bahamas and eastern part of the U.S. and coastal waters.

With Victor having formed in the southeastern Atlantic this week, that leaves Wanda as the only name left on the pre-selected list for 2021. The Atlantic hurricane season doesn't conclude until Nov. 30.

Once Wanda forms, forecasters will utilize a supplemental list prepared by the World Meteorologist Organization to name systems. The list will replace the Greek alphabet, which was used to name storms amid two hyperactive seasons in the past: 2020 and 2005.

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