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hurricanes1234 wrote:90 mph?! Wow! And it still has the chance to intensify even more! Also, Leslie is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane! An interesting period is to come within the next week or two, for sure!
My personal prediction for these storms:
1. Kirk is a 90 mph storm right now, because it rapidly strengthened from 75 mph to 90 mph in just 6 hours. Therefore, given the favorable conditions ahead, rapid intensification is a distinct possibility, especially as Kirk is a small hurricane. I would give the system a 50-70% chance of peaking as a major hurricane, and it will be the first of the season, if it is able to overcome the minor issues, which I am pretty sure it would. Throughout its life so far as a tropical cyclone, Kirk has been an overachiever, strengthening into a hurricane from a previously deteriorating tropical wave that was thought to dissipate in somewhat hostile conditions, without even becoming a tropical depression.
2. Leslie is steadily intensifying, it is now a weak tropical storm, from a newly-formed depression just 6 hours ago. Given the hospitable conditions ahead, I would expect this to strengthen into a major hurricane, but gradually. Then, it should weaken in about 5 days, and become extratropical around the time of passing near to Bermuda.
Even better yet, these storms are not likely to impact land, except Leslie could have effects on Bermuda. But, most likely by the time it reaches there, if it does, it would probably be a weak storm. We have two fishes to watch!