Hurricane Helene is unusual — but it’s not an example of the Fujiwhara Effect

Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall on Florida’s northwestern coast and then continue on to torment parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee with heavy rain, flash floods and gusty winds. Its unusual reach has forecasters raising questions about the Fujiwhara Effect, a rare weather event. But there isn’t another tropical storm at surface level, so it’s not technically undergoing the Fujiwhara Effect. Instead, Helene is feeling the effects of a low-pressure weather system in the upper levels of the atmosphere. The potential impact is still severe: The hurricane center has warned of prolonged power outages, downed trees and dangerous flooding.