NHC mobilizes help for Brazil........

[dixiebreeze]

Posted on Sat, Mar. 27, 2004

BRAZIL
Hurricane off Brazil a first in S. Atlantic

BY MARTIN MERZER

mmerzer@herald.com

Surprised forecasters at the National Hurricane Center mobilized Friday to help Brazilian meteorologists track the first hurricane ever reported in the South Atlantic.

The storm, about 275 miles off Brazil's southern coast, has no name because it's not supposed to be there. No one was even sure who was responsible to track it.

''It appears that we have our first ever South Atlantic hurricane, at least the first we know of,'' said Jack Beven, a forecaster at the hurricane center in West Miami-Dade County. ``We're all kind of scratching our heads. We're not exactly geared up for this area.''

Data about the storm were scarce, but Beven said he believed it was a minimal Category 1 hurricane, with wind speeds of 74-95 mph. It appeared to be drifting slowly toward Brazil, but it was too early to say whether it would strike land.

He said the hurricane center was trying to help Brazilian meteorologists, who may have other things to worry about but have never before seen a hurricane.

''We know there hasn't been a hurricane in that area since at least the satellite era, the mid-'60s at the minimum,'' Beven said.

He emphasized that the storm was a meteorological oddity and had nothing to do with South Florida's week of wind or its chances of getting struck by a hurricane this year. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.

''This has no predictive value at all for the normal Atlantic season,'' Beven said.