Tropics thunder in the Atlantic and Pacific

As the odd, unpredictable path of Tropical Storm Fay crossed Florida and entered the Atlantic, a potentially more dangerous storm zeroed in on the Phillippines.

Typhoon Nuri tore through the northern Phillippines today with sustained winds of 87mph. The storm could impact Taiwan or the Chinese mainland later in the week. Nuri is the twelfth typhoon to hit the Phillippines this year (about 20 is a typical year). A June storm killed over 500 in the island nation.

In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Fay crossed Florida and as of 9am Wednesday is headed offshore near Cape Canaveral. Defying the norm, Fay actually strengthened as it crossed the soggy land of south Florida and the Everglades, but it seems to have weakened near the Atlantic Coast. Concerns that Fay would increase to hurricane force as it re-enters the warm waters of the Atlantic have lessened. The official National Hurricane Center track still has Fay making another turn westward, coming ashore somewhere between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. Forecasters say Fay will be a major rainmaker for North Florida, the Panhandle, and South Georgia in the next several days.

It looks like Jacksonville will continue its extraordinarily lucky record of dodging major hurricane damage. Hurricane Dora in 1964 was the last storm to score a direct hit on the city. Luckier still is Savannah, GA, a few hours' drive up the coast. Savannah hasn't experience major hurricane damage for over a century.

Peter Dykstra Executive Producer CNN Science and Technology

Filed under: hurricanes • Severe weather • Weather