By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
October 2, 2012; 5:23PM,EDT
Nadine will make another run at the Azores before finally meeting its demise over the central Atlantic this week.
Squalls and rough seas will build around the Azores into Thursday as Nadine begins a final northeastward turn.
A tropical system that has been in the spotlight during a quiet period in the Atlantic Basin first came to life on Sept. 11, 2012.
Nadine was still alive and kicking over the central Atlantic as of Oct. 2. However, it is unlikely Nadine will break tropical cyclone endurance records.
The system has completed a large loop over the basin and made a close encounter with the Azores during the third week of September.
Nadine could come back for another visit to the islands before succumbing to cold North Atlantic waters and a large storm approaching from the northwest.
The effect of this non-tropical storm will draw Nadine northward, bringing it near the Azores around Thursday of this week. Between Wednesday and Saturday, Nadine is likely to lose tropical characteristics for the final time.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center has the latest statistics and projected path of Nadine.
There is a slight chance the remnants of Nadine will be flung into part of the United Kingdom and/or Europe over the weekend. However, the same storm moving over the North Atlantic could completely absorb the system in its large circulation, sort of like the giant red spot on Jupiter.
Nadine has certainly had its ups and downs since then. After becoming a hurricane for the first time on Sept. 15, it transitioned to non-tropical system on Sept. 21. On Sept. 24, the system regained tropical status. On Friday, Sept. 28, Nadine became a hurricane for the second time.
Nadine is a storm that came back to life and just won't die over the Central Atlantic.
As of Tuesday, Oct. 2, Nadine was a tropical storm and has been a tropical depression or stronger for approximately 20 days.
The longest-lived tropical cyclone (a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane) in the Atlantic Basin on record is Hurricane San Ciriaco of 1899 with a lifespan of 28 days. Hurricane Ginger of 1971 was a close second with 27.25 days.
San Ciriaco, like Nadine, also had a period of where it was not considered to be a tropical system and then regenerated. However, it is Ginger that has the Atlantic consecutive-day record.
1994's John in the Pacific holds the global upper hand with a tropical cyclone duration record of 31 days. John wandered the northeast and northwest Pacific basins exchanging hurricane/typhoon designations.
Nadine is considered to be a Cape Verde system as it had its origins near the group of islands by the same name, just off the west coast of Africa.
Another Cape Verde system, a tropical wave, has moved off the Africa coast and could become the Atlantic's next tropical depression or named system. However, prevailing westerly winds over the western Atlantic are likely to keep such a system away from the North America mainland.
Interestingly the same, slow-moving, non-tropical storm (giant red spot) over the Atlantic that gathers Nadine could scoop up the new system before getting close to the Windward and Leeward islands.
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