Jun 26, 2007 5:29 pm US/Eastern
WeatherWise: Bermuda Highs
by Mish Michaels
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The WBZ Weather Team and the Museum of Science have partnered to get you wise about the weather. The project is called just that - Weatherwise and is supported by a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation
As you know, weather forecasting is a complex science, but what if you only had to come up with a forecast for the next few hours? A lot easier, right?
This type of short term forecast is called a Nowcast, and Tuesday's Nowcast lesson comes to us from the island of Bermuda.
The exquisite island of Bermuda is almost 700 miles off the Carolina coastline in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. This British jewel is 20.6 square miles of white sand beaches and charming villas -- a perfect escape, right?
But you don't have to travel to Bermuda to get a Bermuda high. In fact, we're living' it right now! Here's the scoop. When an area of high pressure sets up shop near the island of Bermuda, it is called a Bermuda high.
Air flows clockwise around an area of high pressure, so when the Bermuda high gets revved up, which often happens in the summer months, the heat and humidity from the deep south sweep up the coast and scorch New England.
The longer the Bermuda high sticks around, the hotter and more humid it gets -- unless you live on the Cape and Islands. Southwest winds around the Bermuda high are natural air conditioning, directing cooler air in off the Atlantic -- setting the thermostat at 75-80 by day, with fog settling in at night.
Most heat waves in New England are a result of the Bermuda high, so when it comes to Nowcasting in the summer, always check to see if Bermuda is sending their weather our way.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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