Predict Wind, the routing and weather software that many cruisers are choosing for use offshore has added CAPE technology to their suite weather, navigation and routing tools.
CAPE stands for Convective Available Potential Energy and is the amount of fuel available to a developing thunderstorm. More specifically, it describes the instability of the atmosphere and provides an approximation of updraft strength within a thunderstorm. So CAPE is used by weather officials to understand what the potential might be for thunderstorms and how powerful those storms might become if they do materialize.
The standard measurement of energy is represented as Joules Per Kilogram. A high CAPE value might also be expressed by weather experts by using the term “high instability”. When we talk about a highly unstable atmosphere, CAPE values are usually in excess of 2500 J/kg’s which would supply ample energy for strong updrafts and violent thunderstorms, should they develop. Read more.
