17 August 2009

Ana, Bill, and Claudette made for a full weekend...

What was TD2 made a slight comeback over the weekend, and was upgraded to Ana.  However, it still struggles to get better organized, and has since been downgraded to TD Ana.  Presently located between Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, it is being further shredded by the mountainous terrain on those islands.  The forecast track brings it over Hispaniola and into south Florida in three days, but only as a Depression.  The primary threat associated with it will be flooding.

The potent easterly wave I had been mentioning all of last week was finally upgraded to TD3 on Saturday morning, then TS Bill on Saturday afternoon, then Hurricane Bill on Monday morning.  It continues to strengthen as it heads WNW at 14kts.  The latest intensity is 80kts and 977mb.  One significant change from the end of last week is the projected track of Bill.  It has moved northward quite a bit, which should result in it recurving prior to reaching the US coast.  However, it could potentially mean big trouble for Bermuda by this weekend.  Bill should be in the vicinity of Bermuda as a very strong hurricane by then.

And finally, Claudette formed just off the Gulf coast on Sunday morning.  I believe it originated from the same easterly wave I referenced way back on August 1 when it exited the African coast.  On the 4th it was near 35W, on the 10th it was near 60W, and on the 16th it was near 85W.  Fortunately, it did not intensify very much before heading inland over the western FL panhandle on Monday morning as a 45kt Tropical Storm.


Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.

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