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Hurricane Bill a Category 3 Storm: Bermuda on Alert

by Amy Judd | August 20, 2009 at 12:38 pm

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Hurricane Bill is now a category 3 storm, but it is expected to become stronger and Bermuda has been placed on alert for the approaching storm that will bring very powerful winds and huge ocean swells.

A hurricane watch has been issued by the Bermuda Weather Service, and Hurricane Bill is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. It is currently at about 1,100 kilometres south to southeast of the island of Bermuda.

The category three hurricane was moving at about 30 kilometres per hour toward the northwest, and was expected to pass over the open waters between the United States and Bermuda early Saturday, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.

Hurricane Bill has winds of about 195 km/h and could become a category four storm in the next 24 hours. It has the potential to cause extensive damage if is reaches land.

A storm's status depends on how strong the winds are; a category 3 storm will cause extensive damage to buildings and a category 4 will cause 'extensive dangerous winds'.

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The_Cynic

at 18:57 on August 20th, 2009

That baby just may go right past me! I will have the camera out if he does.

In its first bulletin on Bill, the Canadian Hurricane Centre said Thursday that parts of Atlantic Canada can expect heavy rain and hurricane-force winds on Sunday. While the storm will lose some of its punch, winds are still expected to top 120 km/h by Sunday evening, the centre said. The projected track of the storm's eye takes Bill within 150 kilometres south of Halifax and over the southern edge of Cape Breton before moving on to Newfoundland on Monday. Officials with the Halifax Regional Municipality said staff from the municipal Emergency Measures Organization and the provincial Emergency Management Office would meet Friday to plan for possible scenarios.

That is for Nova Scotia - but if the track changes just a few degrees left, New Brunswick will be splattered by him.

sara star

at 19:19 on August 20th, 2009

There is a Star Party this weekend in Nova Scotia. Hope the hurricane doesn't spoil it for them.

August 21 - August 23, 2009 2009 Guest Speaker: Dr. David Turner Organized by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Halifax Centre
and the Minas Astronomy Group
Location: Smileys Provincial Park, Hants County, Nova Scotia

Source: halifax.rasc.ca

On Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 09:54:08 AM participants of the 2009 Nova East Star Party will have the unique opportunity to speak directly with the International Space Station

As the ISS speeds over Smileys Provincial Park (the site of the Nova East Star Party) at 28,000 KPH specialized radio equipment will track the spacecraft in what will amount to a 10 minute "pass" window stretching from horizon to horizon.

During that time 20 questions on a variety of topics will be directed to Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Dr. Robert (Bob) Thirsk . Dr. Thirsk is acting as a Flight Engineer for ISS Expedition 20 and 21 and is Canada's first astronaut to live onboard the ISS for an extended period of time. He will return to the Earth in October of this year.