MACON, Ga. — It's been an active hurricane season across the Atlantic Ocean. With Idalia off the coast of the U.S., another Tropical Storm has formed just southwest of Hurricane Franklin. Tropical Storm Jose is not expected to impact the U.S. It currently has maximum sustained winds at 40 mph. Pressure is at 1010 mb, and it is moving north at seven mph.
Within the next day of its formation, Tropical Storm Jose is expected to be absorbed by Hurricane Franklin in a phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect. The last time the Fujiwhara Effect happened was in 2017, when Hillary & Irwin danced around each other in the Pacific Ocean.
According to the National Weather Service, the Fujiwhara Effect is "When two hurricanes, spinning in the same direction, pass close enough that they begin an intense dance around their common center."
Weaker cyclones that orbit stronger cyclones, could eventually be eaten by the larger cyclones. If they have the same strength, cyclones could merge to become an even stronger storm. They could also continue to rotate around one another, otherwise known as the "dance of death."
Franklin is expected to remain "Franklin," but a bit stronger. Franklin is also not expected to impact the U.S., other than strong rip currents along the eastern coast.
You can find more on the Fujiwhara effect here:
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