ATLANTA — We could have double trouble in the Gulf of Mexico next week.
We are tracking two tropical systems that will be in the Gulf at the same time next week. It is possible that they could both be hurricanes.
A lot of people have asked if it's possible that these storms could collide and become an even bigger super-storm. The short answer is "probably not."
Here's a look at some of the scenarios that could happen.
Scenario 1
The storms could be close together and compete for energy. One scenario is that both storms could weaken as they compete with each other.
Scenario 2
The next scenario brings in what is called the Fujuwhara effect.
If the storms are a similar size and strength, they could revolve around each other and do a "tropical dance" in the Gulf. That would help them change direction and maybe even go in a circle, then eventually disperse in different directions. We've seen this happen in the open Atlantic before.
Scenario 3
The two systems could join together, however, this wouldn't be a collision that makes an even bigger storm.
It is possible that if one storm is stronger, it could absorb the other storm. It would simply overtake the other storm, but it wouldn't make that storm become any stronger. It would just rob one storm of its energy and it would fall apart as it moves into the other one.
This will be interesting to watch next week!