After lolling about the Caribbean for a week and then passing west of Bermuda, Hurricane Maria has been racing northward and is expected to strike Newfoundland. The powerful storm will streak across the eastern half of that island province and the Avalon Peninsula should bear the brunt of her 80 mph winds.
Surrounded by the chilly waters of the North Atlantic, Newfoundland is relatively immune to hurricanes and tropical storms; indeed, cold water is one of the major factors known to weaken tropical cyclones. Nevertheless, Hurricane Maria is moving northward at a rapid rate, swept along by an advancing cold front, and is forecast to retain Level 1 traits when she reaches southeastern Newfoundland. After raking this Maritime Province, Maria is expected to dissipate south of Greenland.
As local residents prepare for the storm, one wonders if Jim Cantore is on a flight to St. John's. For the king of weather broadcasting to miss such a rare event is almost unthinkable. After all, we have now passed the peak of the 2011 hurricane season and the opportunity to report from the driving rain of a land-falling storm is rapidly fading.
