“Fujiwhara Effect”

by Caleb, KE0FOE

The Fujiwhara effect occurs when two areas of low pressure in proximity to one another begin to circle one another and possibly merge to form one larger storm instead of two. If two hurricanes pass close enough to one another, the smaller storm may either orbit the stronger one, or the two storms may begin to orbit around a common center.

As is often the case, the two storms will often break their connection and move away from one another along their own paths. However, in rare circumstances, two hurricanes can come together in a cumulative effect and result in a much larger hurricane instead of two.

For the week of August 23, 2020, all eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico watching as Hurricane Marco and soon-to-be Hurricane Laura move very close to one another. Will they merge or even affect one another at all? It’s too soon to tell at the time of this posting, and we’ll just have to wait and see.

For more interesting facts about the Fujiwhara effect, visit this page on Wikipedia or visit this page from the National Weather Service.