What is the Fujiwhara Effect? Hurricane forecasters warn rare event is nearing East Coast

[240B]

What is the Fujiwhara Effect? Hurricane forecasters warn rare event is nearing East Coast

Daily Mail
By CHRIS MELORE
24 September 2025



A pair of tropical cyclones forming nearing the US could soon merge in a rare weather event that could wreak havoc for millions along the East Coast.

Meteorologists fear that Tropical Storm Humberto and another potential storm in the Atlantic could get so close to each other that they start to interact, creating one massive hurricane or spinning both storms in unpredictable directions.

The phenomenon is called the Fujiwhara Effect and it typically takes place when two tropical cyclones get within 900 miles of each other, close enough for them to start 'feeling' each other's presence in the ocean.

The storms might rotate around a common point between them, like two hurricanes doing a slow dance.

In some cases, a stronger storm might absorb a weaker one, creating an even more massive weather event than either storm would have been on their own.

If they're similar in size and strength, however, they might repel each other and get thrown in completely different directions that forecasters won't be able to project beforehand.

These events are rare during the Atlantic hurricane season, with only a four instances taking place near the East Coast since 1995.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that one of the tropical systems in the Atlantic, dubbed Invest 94L, has a more than 80 percent chance of developing into named storm by next week, while Humberto became a tropical storm Wednesday night.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15131023/Fujiwhara-effect-dangerous-Hurricane-East-Coast.html

[mountaineer]

Our local TV weather guy mentioned this. This could get wild.

[Free Vulcan]

And let me guess, Tinkerbell pixie dust, aka CO2 is the culprit.

[240B]

And let me guess, Tinkerbell pixie dust, aka CO2 is the culprit.

Minorities and children most affected.