Context

• Two tropical storms, formed in the western Atlantic Ocean at nearly the same time, are likely to impact the Gulf of Mexico, sparking concerns of the rare Fujiwhara effect that occurs when two hurricanes combine to form a mega hurricane. 

About the Effect

• The effect occurs when two hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other, and begin an intense dance around their common center.
• If one hurricane is a lot stronger than the other, the smaller one will orbit it and eventually come crashing into its vortex to be absorbed.
• The storms closer in strength can gravitate towards each other until they reach a common point and merge, or merely spin each other around for a while before shooting off on their own paths.
• Often, the effect is additive when hurricanes come together, and we usually end up with one massive storm instead of two smaller ones.