11 August 2005

Irene making a comeback...

It has been a week since my last update, and since then Harvey came and 
went, finally making the transition to an extratropical cyclone over the 
north Atlantic, never having made it to a hurricane.  And TD9 that I 
mentioned in that update had briefly become TS Irene for a day, then 
weakened back to a TD, but over the past couple of days is making a 
genuine effort at looking impressive.  Now back to a TS and forecast to 
become a hurricane, Irene is between Puerto Rico and Bermuda and heading 
northwest.  It had been battling dry Saharan air that sometimes lingers 
over the ocean, as well as vertical wind shear.

As of 21Z today, TS Irene was located at 25.7N 63.9W and tracking WNW at 
13kts.  The maximum sustained winds are 45kts and the central pressure 
is 1000mb.  Conditions continue to improve and it is expected to reach 
hurricane intensity by Friday night.  The forecast track is most 
interesting... it could nip the US coast near Cape Hatteras or recurve 
before hitting.  At any rate, the closest approach should occur sometime 
on Tuesday.
Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.

No comments:

Post a Comment