Noel, hurricane/extra tropical storm … what’s the difference?
Now that we are in the recovery mode after the onslaught of the storm named Noel, I thought it might be nice to recap and paraphrase the Bard on Avon, with a turn of his famous phrase from Romeo and Juliet, which basically says, no matter what it is called a rose still smells as sweet.
And so it is in the minds of some people, that no matter what it is called, if a storm packs winds of 130 clicks then it is dangerous. Valid point, to a degree. And that is where the arts and the sciences part. Yes, the winds were of hurricane force and the downed trees and pounded shorelines are testament to the sated fury of Noel, no matter what its appellation. But the nomenclature is not merely to obfuscate or to separate the scientifically anointed from the illiterate or tilt towards pedantry.
When Hurricane Noel transformed from hurricane to extra tropical Storm, it told us something of the nature and future behaviour of this massive cyclone. The change in name was a scientific shorthand for….Oh oh…heads up folks.
As climate change settles in and we are reaping its questionable benefits, the prognostications of the good scientists at Environment Canada take on a different hue. You see, climate change models tell us that that these transmogrified Hurricanes get much larger and widespread and rather than have their fury abated by cold northern climes, actually become recharged and refreshed as they head north. And they become more numerous. Just what we need more and more intense cyclones.
So when Noel made the transition from Hurricane to ET, it wasn’t just an exercise to add to the lexicon of meteorology. It was to inform and explain, that things were going to get ugly and that we could expect no weakening of the storm, that it would blossom and spread its ferocious winds across an area that would dwarf its 2004 predecessor Juan. Where the path of Juan was crucial, not so with Noel. In terms of size, Juan was a pin prick compared to the raging swath of Noel. All of Atlantic Canada was affected, with the highest most vicious winds being recorded in Wreckhouse Newfoundland at 180 lmh.
Soon, because of climate change, there will be more press conferences explaining the differences, and soon, it is to be hoped, we will all understand what the difference is between a tropical Hurricane and the ET. Its important because a name can be more than just a name. Sometimes its an education.