Tropical Storm Zeta forms in Atlantic

[TexasHSFootball]

By ADRIAN SAINZ, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago

Tropical Storm Zeta formed Friday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, another installment in a record-breaking hurricane season that officially ended last month.

Zeta, the 27th storm of the season, formed Friday about 1,000 miles south-southwest of the Azores islands, according to an advisory posted on the National Hurricane Center's Web site. It posed no immediate threat to land.

The center said it would send out a full advisory later Friday. Tropical storms have winds of at least 39 mph.

It was not immediately known if Dec. 30 was the latest date for the formation of a tropical storm in the Atlantic. But earlier this month, Hurricane Epsilon became only the fifth hurricane to form in December in 154 years of record-keeping. Hurricanes form when their winds exceed 74 mph.

Zeta is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, which forecasters turned to after they used up — for the first time — their list of 21 proper names for storms. The record for tropical storms and hurricanes in a season had been 21, set in 1933 before such storms were regularly named.

The 2005 Atlantic storm season, which officially ended Nov. 30, included 14 hurricanes, including Epsilon.

One of the hurricanes, Katrina, destroyed large portions of Louisiana and Mississippi last August in the most costly disaster in U.S. history. Hurricanes Dennis, Rita and Wilma also caused significant damage in the U.S.

Forecasters have said that hurricane seasons are going to be more active than usual for at least another decade — and possibly as long as 50 years.

[wos fan1]

Unbelievable!!!

[LewP]

Just my humble opinion, but crazy weather was predicted in a very famous book a long time ago....

[wos fan1]

Amen.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by LewP
Just my humble opinion, but crazy weather was predicted in a very famous book a long time ago....

Now when it gets down in the 40s in South Texas in July that will really get everyone's attention.

[wos fan1]

:D No kidding!

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by TexasHSFootball
By ADRIAN SAINZ, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago



Forecasters have said that hurricane seasons are going to be more active than usual for at least another decade — and possibly as long as 50 years.

:doh: :doh: :doh: Not a good thing to look forward too for sure :(

[TexasHSFootball]

just when you thought this Hurricane and Tropical Storm mess was over until June, which I believe is when the new round of names take effect. :doh:

[wos fan1]

There at the end of the Greek Alaphebet already i think.

[TexasHSFootball]

Originally posted by wos fan1
There at the end of the Greek Alaphebet already i think.

18 more to go before that happens.

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle/graphics/greek_alphabet.gif

[wos fan1]

I know a few of those have been used the last few weeks.

[wos fan1]

May just run out of names...:D

[LewP]

Originally posted by TexasHSFootball
18 more to go before that happens.

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle/graphics/greek_alphabet.gif

Maybe after the Greek Alphabet, we can get the Irish Alphabet going....

Of course...the only letter in the Irish Alphabet would be "B" for beer..LOL

OK, I'm Irish...I can say it...LOL

[LewP]

Irish (Gaeilge)
Irish is a Celtic language spoken in mainly Ireland (Éire). There are also Irish speakers in the UK (Ríocht Aontaithe), the USA (Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá), Canada (Ceanada) and Australia (an Astráil). According to the 1996 census, 1.43 million people in Ireland claim to have some knowledge of Irish, 353,000 of whom speak it regularly. The main concentrations of Irish speakers are in the Gaeltachtaí, which are scattered mainly along the west coast of Ireland and have a total population of 82,715, 76.3% of whom speak Irish.

There are three main dialects of Irish: Munster (An Mhumhain), Connacht (Connachta) and Ulster (Ulaidh). The Munster dialect, which is considered the standard form of the language, is spoken mainly in Kerry (Ciarraí) and Muskerry (Múscraí) in the western part of County Cork (Contae Chorcaí). The Connacht dialect is spoken mainly in Connemara (Conamara) and the Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann). The main area where the Ulster dialect is spoken is the Rosses (na Rosa).

Irish (Gaeilge na hÉireann), which is also known as Irish Gaelic or Gaelic, is closely related to Manx (Gaelg Vanninagh) and Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig na h-Alba). The Ulster dialect of Irish is particularly close to Scottish Gaelic.

Between the 17th and early 20th centuries, the Irish language was gradually replaced by English in most parts of Ireland. Famine and migration in the 19th and 20th centuries lead to its further decline. However when the Republic of Ireland came into being in 1922, Irish was adopted as an official language, along with English, and the government and civil service become, in theory at least, officially bilingual. Irish terms were also adopted for the titles of public figures and organisations - Garda (Police), Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Dail (Parliament).

Recently the Irish language has experienced a revival with the foundation of new publications, a radio service, a television station and the growth of Irish-medium education. Irish is also increasingly being used on independent radio stations in Ireland.

Origin of writing in Ireland
Irish first began to appear in writing in the form of Ogham inscriptions during the 3rd century AD. When St Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, Irish writers began to write in Latin, while at the same time, Irish literature written in the Latin alphabet began to appear. The Viking invasions of the 9th and 10th centuries lead to the destruction of many early manuscripts, so most surviving manuscripts were written after that time.

Irish uncial alphabet
The Irish uncial alphabet originated in medieval manuscripts as a variant of the Latin alphabet. It was used for printing Irish until quite recently and is still used on road signs and public notices throughout Ireland.



Sample text in the Irish uncial alphabet

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by LewP
Just my humble opinion, but crazy weather was predicted in a very famous book a long time ago....
Crazy fact...

I took the second semester of Geology this Fall, found out that we're actually still in the middle of an ice age, but the peak of it has gone and we're going into a down cycle. Sometime within the next 20,000 years, the Earth should heat back up significantly (it was "normal" during the time of the dinosaurs... was more than 70 degrees warmer at the poles) and by that time hurricane season should be a January-December event.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Crazy fact...

I took the second semester of Geology this Fall, found out that we're actually still in the middle of an ice age, but the peak of it has gone and we're going into a down cycle. Sometime within the next 20,000 years, the Earth should heat back up significantly (it was "normal" during the time of the dinosaurs... was more than 70 degrees warmer at the poles) and by that time hurricane season should be a January-December event.

I'll be sure and leave a letter for my great great great great great great great great whatever grandchildren to be sure and get to high ground.

[KingRob]

It feels like an ice age over here right now. We are on our 5th day of snow and with temps in the low 20s. If one neighbor goes out to shovel the walk, then everyone goes out. Crazy!

[LewP]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Crazy fact...

I took the second semester of Geology this Fall, found out that we're actually still in the middle of an ice age, but the peak of it has gone and we're going into a down cycle. Sometime within the next 20,000 years, the Earth should heat back up significantly (it was "normal" during the time of the dinosaurs... was more than 70 degrees warmer at the poles) and by that time hurricane season should be a January-December event.

Dang, Ranger Mom will be out of puberty by then...LOLOLOL

:D