Hawaii braces for Felicia; 99L near the Cape Verdes Islands may develop
A strong tropical wave (99L) is just south of the Cape Verdes Islands, 800 miles off the coast of Africa. This morning's QuikSCAT pass showed a nearly closed surface circulation, stretched out along one axis. The satellite saw winds of up to 45 mph in a band of heavy thunderstorms well south of the Cape Verdes Islands. The islands have seen winds of only 10 - 15 mph and some occasional rain showers thus far from the disturbance. Heavy thunderstorm activity associated with 99L died down this morning, but appears to be making a comeback late this morning. Wind shear is moderate, about 10 knots, and sea surface temperatures are moderately warm, about 27 - 28°C. There is a large area of dry air to 99L's north that is interfering with the storm's organization, though.
Figure 1. Current satellite image of disturbance 99L.
Wind shear is expected to be moderate, 5 - 15 knots, through Wednesday. SSTs will remain relatively constant at 27°C, but the dry, stable air of the Saharan AIr Layer (SAL) to 99L's north will be problem for it. NHC has given 99L a moderate (30 - 50% chance) of developing into a tropical depression by Wednesday morning, which is a reasonable forecast. Most of the models show some weak development, but none of them predict 99L will become a hurricane. It is too early to say if 99L will recurve north of the Lesser Antilles Islands or not, since it will be at least 5 days before the storm makes it that far. It is unusual, though, for storms forming this far north to make it all the way across the Atlantic to hit the Lesser Antilles Islands.
The GFS and ECMWF models are predicting the possible development of a new tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa late this week.
Felicia continues to weaken, but is a flash flooding threat to Hawaii
Tropical Storm Felicia has weakened steadily over the past 24 hours, thanks to cool sea surface temperatures and increasing shear. Recent satellite loops show that strong upper-level winds from the west have pushed the storm's heavy thunderstorm activity to the northeast side of the center, exposing the surface center as a swirl of low clouds. Felicia's relatively meager heavy thunderstorm activity is steadily moving away from the center of the storm.
Figure 2. History of hurricane activity over Hawaii since 1950. Hawaii islands have been hit by only 9 tropical cyclones of tropical depression or greater strength, with 4 others passing withing 75 miles of an island. Image credit: NOAA Coastal Services Center.
Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) under Felicia are 25°C, well below the 26°C threshold typically needed to sustain a hurricane. SSTs will slowly increase to 26°C by Tuesday. Wind shear has increased to a high 30 knots, and is expected to increase further to 40 knots by Tuesday. The high shear combined with the cool SSTs should continue to weaken Felicia today. I give a 30% chance that the shear will completely rip away Felicia's heavy thunderstorm activity by the time the storm reaches Hawaii, leaving only a swirl of low-level clouds that will not cause significant flooding problems. The wind speed probabilities forecast shows about a 25% chance Felicia will still be a weak tropical storm at 3 am Hawaiian time Tuesday morning, and a 15% chance the storm will have dissipated. If Felicia does hold together that long, it would be only the tenth tropical cyclone of tropical depression or higher strength to affect the islands since 1950 (Figure 2). Large swells from Felicia are already affecting the Big Island, and a high surf warning has been posted for east-facing shores of the Big Island and other Hawaiian islands. Felicia or its remnants may bring heavy rain, flash flooding, and mud slides to the islands beginning this afternoon, and a Flash Flood Watch has been posted for most of the islands.
Links to follow:
Long range radar from the Big Island
Wundermap for Hawaii
I'll have an update Tuesday morning.
Reader Comments
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We said it would make a come back.....it had way to much low level organization.
I think that we all know that the internet has problems, that's why we use the virus programs etc. In this day & age its just too easy to look for someone to blame, to make them responsible.
We all came onto the blog knowing its an open internet site, and that the virus problem can exist here also. Admin is not to blame for the problems on our computers, about all they can do is scan what comes in. I don't think that will work, because the virus gets picked up when you open up an outside link.
Bottom Line, we all are responsible for our computers, so lets not make this a big issue.
I agree, that's the only explanation. I haven't clicked any links on this page and I'm getting pinged constantly by these two links, which claim to be adware. WU has got issues.
I like the way you think...
OR Marco sized bands.
I concur. Georgia shall be hereby deemed Hurricane Proof and all models shall discard any solutions possibly showing a Georgia landfall.
That would make it a phishing link
Probably gonna stay small for a while until it can clear out more SAL and expand.
Marco for those who missed him
Why are you at 138?
Im only on 120 using NCEP.
Do you use Accuweather pro or something?
Wunderground is an associate and is hosting these ads.
can i get a link please?
Well I don't know of any major hurricanes, but Hurricane David of 1979 hit Georgia for a second landfall as a minimal hurricane.
Thank You
no, it doesn't work like that. they don't submit ads for you to approve, they just send you ads. you work out a deal with the ad provider, and they send their ads directly to your site without any input from you.
Thats what I meant but was drawing a blank on the word...thanks.
Click at your own risk...
Or
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/carib/gfs/00/model_l.shtml
120 hours
Marco as in the storm last year.
the wave near 50w
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