NZ Weather Forum

Ida has formed into a tropical storm overnight south of Cuba. The latest super ensemble 2608 run 18z set for EPS and GEFS is showing a track bullseye for Louisiana in just over 3 days. Given the very warm gulf waters and low wind shear in the short term, this could be a major hurricane on landfall for the U.S. GFS is current projecting a hit on New Orleans.

Poor Louisiana. Their coastal communities are still a mess after Laura and her mates visited last year. I think surge is going to be a huge issue with Ida due to the large wind field.

Ida now forecast to be Cat 4 or higher by the NHS at landfall in the coming days.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/

HWFR's 18z run has Ida coming in hot off the gulf as a top shelf truck tyre at Baton Rogue, Monday morning NZT.

NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft is currently flying through Ida. They have recorded a 4mb pressure drop in the last hour and a half. Ida will be a beast in 12 hours time.

Pressure now 954.3mb. Rapid intensification now occurring.

This is the 2nd Hurricane/TC to be called Ida. TC Ida passed close to Northland on the 15th of March 1959 resulting in a lot of damage up there.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote: ↑Sun 29/08/2021 18:19 This is the 2nd Hurricane/TC to be called Ida. TC Ida passed close to Northland on the 15th of March 1959 resulting in a lot of damage up there.

That’s a neat bit of trivia! I dare say the name Ida will be retired by the NHS after this. Now a category 4, drop of 6mb in the past hour.

Inner eyewall lightning in the last hour. Ida is still maturing on approach ......

GFS latest run is projecting the inner eyewall approaching New Orleans near high tide in 9 hour and 40 min from now.

Satellite (ADT) estimate coming in at 934 hPa, 127 knots. Hurricane hunter recon mission is now on its way towards the beast to drop in the new weather toys and get the actual obs. Ida has the unofficial look of a cat 5.

Cyclone Tracy wrote: ↑Sun 29/08/2021 20:17 GFS latest run is projecting the inner eyewall approaching New Orleans near high tide in 9 hour and 40 min from now.

Satellite (ADT) estimate coming in at 934 hPa, 127 knots. Hurricane hunter recon mission is now on its way towards the beast to drop in the new weather toys and get the actual obs. Ida has the unofficial look of a cat 5.

The new hurricane hunter data will be interesting. Cat 5 certainly on the cards. Data due in a few minutes time.

crazy

Eastern eyewall around 123 knots on that first fly over pass. Cat 5 level is 136 knots + (157 mph, 252 km/h)

Josh Morgerman of iCyclone is currently in New Orleans.

Landfall - pressure 930 hPA, 130 knots (150 mph, 241 km/h). High end cat 4. Preliminary wind estimates would tie that strength with strongest ever Louisiana canes of Laura 2020; Last Island 1856.

everyone is up early checking and watching
any online weather stations in the area?

Livestream from WWLTV, New Orleans:

Live Coverage: Hurricane Ida impacting Louisiana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D7pQxnOIjI

This live stream video takes you to Biloxi, on the Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Mississippi. This view from Biloxi lighthouse, a Mississippi landmark, displays Beach Boulevard at the intersection with Porter Avenue, and the wide sandy Biloxi Beach. ...

Ida is looking just as strong as when she first made landfall, all that hot swampy water below. Multiple mesovortices within the inner eyewall and intense rain on the outside of them. The eye is heading for the town of Houma where several storm chasers are hunkered down. They should get the stadium effect if it stays course.

EarthCam Live: Hurricane Ida - Bourbon Street, New Orleans. Much more rackety here now than it was a few hours ago:

obviously a tornado damage they just been looking at...but they are all like...what has happened here (re the live broadcast)

Reed Timmer currently live driving in the eye around Lockport. Around 940 hpa. https://fb.watch/7HMO7UL_qm/

Still a deep very strong major cane. I'd say it associated with the Brown Ocean effect over the swamps.

Absolute insanity at Grand Isle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTK_fo-lSNQ ... =copy_link

7 hours after landfall, Ida still has an eye and eyewall. The damage is going cataclysmic.

Total power failure in New Orleans. Catastrophic damage to the grid that will take months to repair according to local media. Flash flood emergency now as well due to the lack of pumps that are operational. Only a few work on the back up generator power. The strength of this system blows my mind. The warm moist waters of the gulf continuing to fuel Ida through her own storm surge and swamp areas of the bayou.