Tropical Storm Epsilon, the 26th named storm of this remarkable hurricane season, has been christened in the Atlantic Ocean about 845 miles east of Bermuda. Epsilon is churning westward and may gradually increase in strength. It is, however, expected to shift to an ENE track after about 36 hours, thus sparing Bermuda any effects. The storm likely will become extratropical by this weekend as it continues its journey over the open waters of the eastern Atlantic.
The amazing 2005 Atlantic hurricane season has shattered many long-standing records, chief among them a record number of named storms, twenty-six, which has obliterated the previous record of twenty-one in 1933. There also have been 13 hurricanes so far this season breaking the old record of 12 set in 1969. Another record set was for the most category-five hurricanes, three, with Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Wilma became the strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin with a pressure of 882 mb breaking the old record set by Gilbert (888 mb) in 1988. Katrina likely will be the costliest U.S. hurricane on record. Also, the final seasonal tally for damage will be the greatest in U.S. history, breaking the previous record set just last year. The landfall of four major hurricanes in the U.S. also set a record.
