A privately designed, unmanned rocket built to carry satellites into orbit exploded in a fireball off the California coast.

This Aqua satellite image taken Friday, Sept. 18, 2020 and provided by NASA, shows subtropical storm Alpha in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean near Portugal's coast. The Atlantics record-breaking crazy hurricane season got a bizarre European remake Friday as forecasters ran out of traditional names and trotted out the Greek alphabet for subtropical storm Alpha. (NASA via AP)The Atlantic’s record-breaking “crazy” hurricane season got a bizarre European remake Friday as forecasters ran out of traditional names and trotted out the Greek alphabet for subtropical storm Alpha. The busy Atlantic is beta testing the Greek alphabet as Beta formed late Friday afternoon. With at least another month of the heart of the busiest part of hurricane season to go, one weather-watcher on Twitter talked of “Hurricane Pi on Thanksgiving.”

Alpha should move across northern Portugal and Spain before dissipating later today. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropics Satellite at 9:36 Friday Evening, September 18thWatches and WarningsThere are no coastal tropical cyclone watches or warnings in effect. Interests in Portugal should monitor the progress of Alpha. Additional information on this system can be found in products from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere at www.ipma.pt.

ROANOKE, Va. – 5 p.m. UpdateTropical Depression 22 is now Tropical Storm Beta in the Gulf of Mexico. Beta will likely form Friday as well in the Gulf of Mexico. Friday Morning UpdateJust a day after Sally’s remnants dumped rain on our region, the Atlantic hurricane season strikes again. Tropical Storm Wilfred forms in the open AtlanticThis is the last name on the list for the 2020 season. 2020 hurricane namesIt’s remarkable to run out of names, but it’s especially remarkable considering hurricane season doesn’t end until November 30th.