Tropical Systems

This weekend it was Hurricane Danielle churning up the seas and causing dangerous rip currents. Next weekend it will be Hurricane Earl.
The latest models on Earl are bringing him a little closer to the Eastern seaboard as a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 125mph. Right now Earl is at respectable 105 mph sustained winds making him a category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. He is impacting the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands (U.S. & British). This is not a direct hit but these countries are seeing the effects from this dangerous storm.
As Earl climbs the Eastern seaboard this weekend, he should be just off our shores on Friday. At that time he'll likely bring dangerous rip currents, plus he has the potential to bring heavy rain and winds to the Eastern end of Long Island.
These models are going out several days so keep in mind the confidence level in the forecasts drops over time. This is a major storm near our coasts so I will continue to update this all week long and keep you posted.
My main area of concern is the Eastern End of Long Island. This area could get swiped by the backside of the storm on Friday. Also all area beaches will have strong rip currents.
Joe Punday and Linda Church