Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Climatology

Since 1851, the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Record, many storms have formed from off the African Coast, but Florence was different from the rest.

It is very unusual for an intense (Category 4) storm to be observed at such high latitude in the Atlantic. Also, as Florence started its trek across the Atlantic Ocean, the storm and atmosphere gave every indication that it would veer out to sea and not threaten any land. However, a blocking high, an area of high-pressure, to the north of the storm strengthened, and its position steered Florence to the west. When plotted, the deviation in the track is easy to see. There are blocking highs all of the time, but the exact location and strength of these weather systems play an integral role in how weather patterns, or hurricanes, are steered across different regions.