Hurrican Felix

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Hurricane Felix

        Hurricane Felix was the 6th named tropical storm and the 3rd hurricane of the unusually active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. Though it never made it to land, Felix stalled off the coast of North Carolina, resulting in great uncertainty over its track. The hurricane caused eight Deaths and severe beach erosion from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

Storm Path

        A tropical Wave moved off the coast of South Africa on 6th August. Deep Convection rapidly organized around the centre, and the system progressed into tropical depression seven on the 8th while a short distance Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The depression moved to the West-Northwest, and 18 hours after forming, it developed into tropical storm Felix. It continued to slowly intensify as it moved West-Northwest ward, a motion due the subtropical ridge, an attained hurricane status on the 11th while 620 miles (1000 Km) East-Northeast of Guadeloupe.

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        A break in the deep layered trough over the western Atlantic Ocean resulted in Felix moving more to the North-West. There, where waters are warm and little upper level shear allowed the hurricane to quickly peak over 140 mph on 12th August. An eye wall replacement cycle, combined with upper level shear from its anticyclone being displaced over the hurricane, caused Felix to weaken and develop a broader inner core. Its Northwest motion continued, bringing Felix, then an 85mph hurricane within 75 miles of Bermuda on the 15th August.

        The subtropical ridge built to the west, forcing Felix to take a west ...

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