The Dagger of Death

During June 2008, many tropical waves moved off the coast of Africa. But, in the Caribbean Sea, a phenomenon occurred, hindering tropical development. This is called the "Dagger of Death" by hurricane experts. The reason behind this is that low-level winds (winds around 10,000 feet above sea level or so) are moving the opposite way that upper level winds (winds at about 36,000 feet) were moving at the same location. Therefore, when a storm system passes through the Caribbean Sea, the clouds that extend into both these layers are ripped apart, leaving the system decapitated.