TD 8 forms; 97L a potential threat to the Caribbean and U.S.
Tropical Depression Eight formed last night near the coast of Honduras, and is headed westwards towards a landfall in Belize on Saturday. TD 8 is a small storm, so will impact a relatively small area of northern Honduras, northern Guatemala, all of Belize, and southern portions of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. TD 8 has just enough room between its center and the coast of Honduras to intensify into a moderate strength tropical storm with 50 - 60 mph winds before landfall. It is very unlikely TD8 has the time or room to intensify into a hurricane; NHC gave the storm just a 7% chance of making it to hurricane strength in their 11am EDT wind probability forecast. Should TD8 make it to tropical storm strength, it would be called Harvey.
Figure 1. Morning satellite image of TD 8.
Invest 97L likely to become a tropical storm next week, could threaten the U.S.
A tropical wave near 14°N 48°W, about 800 miles east of the Lesser Antilles Islands, is moving westward near 20 mph. This wave, designated Invest 97L by NHC yesterday, has seen a marked increase in its heavy thunderstorm activity this morning, but dry air to the north and west is slowing development. An impressive amount of large-scale spin is obvious in visible satellite loops, but the storm is at least a day away from forming a well-defined surface circulation. Ocean temperatures are about 28.5°C, about 2°C above the threshold needed to support a tropical storm, and wind shear is low, 5 - 10 knots.
Figure 2. Morning satellite image of the tropical wave 97L.
The computer models have shown an unusual amount of agreement in developing 97L over the past few days, and all the ingredients seem to be in place for a tropical storm to form by Monday or Tuesday as 97L crosses the Northeast Caribbean. The atmosphere is expected to be moister over the Caribbean, wind shear will remain a low 5 - 10 knots, and sea surface temperatures will increase to near 29°C. The main impediment for development will likely be two-fold: too much dry, stable air, and proximity to land.
As seen in Figure 3, there has been an unusual amount of dry, stable air in the Atlantic this year, due to a combination of dry air from Africa, and upper-atmosphere dynamics creating large areas of sinking air that dry as they warm and approach the surface. This stable air has been largely responsible for the fact that none of our seven tropical storms so far this year has made it to hurricane strength, despite the presence of sea surface temperatures that are the 3rd warmest on record across the tropical Atlantic. Tropical Storm Emily in early August encountered problems with dry air when it crossed the Northeast Caribbean, and 97L may have similar difficulties.
Figure 3. Vertical instability of the atmosphere during 2011 in the Caribbean (left) and tropical Atlantic between the Lesser Antilles Islands and coast of Africa (right.) The instability is plotted in °C, as a difference in temperature from near the surface to the upper atmosphere. Thunderstorms grow much more readily when vertical instability is high. Observed vertical instability (blue line) has been much lower than the climatological average from previous years (black line), due to an unusual amount of dry air in the atmosphere, inhibiting tropical storm development this year. Image credit: NOAA/CIRA.
Encounters with land will be another potential major problem for 97L. Most of the computer models take 97L near or over Puerto Rico Sunday night, then very close to or over mountainous Hispaniola Monday night through Tuesday. It is unlikely that 97L will be stronger than a 55 mph tropical storm when it encounters these islands, and passage over the islands could severely disrupt the storm. However, if 97L takes a path just south or north of Hispaniola, the potential exists for the storm to intensify into a hurricane.
There will be moderate wind shear of 10 - 20 knots to the north of the islands early next week, so a path just to the south of the Dominican Republic and Haiti would be more likely to let 97L intensify into a hurricane. A west-northwest motion is likely for 97L through Wednesday, which would bring the storm to the vicinity of Jamaica-Central Cuba-the Central Bahamas on Wednesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the models agree that a trough of low pressure will dip down over the Eastern U.S., which is likely to turn 97L to the north. The exact timing and strength of this trough varies considerably from model to model, and will be critical in determining where and when 97L will turn to the north. The best model for predicting the timing and strength of such troughs over the past two years has been the ECMWF (European Center model), and this model currently brings 97L into the Florida Keys on Thursday night next week. You can view ECMWF forecasts on our wundermap with the model layer turned on. The European Center does not permit public display of tropical storm positions from their hurricane tracking module of their model, so we are unable to put ECMWF forecasts on our computer model forecast page that plots positions from the other major models.
Remember that a 7-day forecast by even our best model will be off by an average of over 700 miles, so it is too early to tell what part of the U.S. might be most at risk from a strike by 97L. This weekend would be a good time to go over your hurricane preparedness.
Figure 4. Morning satellite image of Invest 98L off the coast of Africa.
Invest 98L near the coast of Africa
A tropical wave near the coast of Africa, a few hundred miles southeast of the Cape Verde Islands, is moving west to west-northwestward at 10 - 15 mph. This wave, designated Invest 98L by NHC yesterday, is large and well-organized, with a modest amount of spin and heavy thunderstorm activity. 98L will bring strong, gusty winds and heavy rains to the Cape Verde Islands today and Saturday as the storm skirts to the south. So far this morning, top sustained winds measured in the islands were 24 mph at Mindelo. Water temperatures are warm, near 27 - 28°C, and wind shear is low, 5 - 10 knots, so 98L should continue to organize today. NHC gave the storm a 50% chance of developing into a tropical depression in their 8am advisory. Once 98L passes to the west of the Cape Verde Islands, it has a long stretch of ocean to cross before it could affect any other land areas. Approximately 70 - 80% of all tropical cyclones that pass this close to the Cape Verde Islands end up curving out to sea and not affecting any other land areas, according to Dr. Bob Hart's excellent historical probability of landfall charts. The latest set of long-range model runs go along with this idea, but it is too early to be confident of this.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Yea last year was bad for Belize, they seemed like they couldnt get a break. I think three to four storms made landfall there last year. Hope the luck changes, thy could use a break.
Regarding safe-guarding important papers, items etc. I have heard a couple of interesting solutions.
One is to use your dishwasher - Makes sense to me.
Another is to mail important papers (insurance etc) to yourself.
I'm unsure just how mountainous Belize really is, but hurricanes typically weaken very quickly after making landfall in Central America. While a Category 2 is nothing to sneeze at, when it is crossing over dangerously rugged terrain, the winds will quickly subside, confining those effects to areas along the coast and just inland from it.
Of course, this does not downplay the significance of Harvey, or any hurricane, at all. I am just saying; freshwater flooding is what kills in Central America, not wind.
Athome, you remember that best-case scenario about Harvey RIing and coughing up a bunch of moisture to the
WV wagon around TX? It's going to happen and you may get rain tomorrow from that big blob circling down from KS.
Aren't you supposed to be preparing a party?
1. how strong will harvey become?
A 65 MPH
B 70 MPH
C 75 MPH
D Higher/Lower
2. what percentage will invest 97 be at 2 am?
A 60%
B 70%
C 80%
D Higher/Lower
3. what percentage will invest 98/99 be at 2 am?
A 30%
B 40%
C 50%
D Higher/Lower
Central America and Mexico got pounded last year.
daa
08L/TS/H/CX
NEARING LANDFALL
I always kept my important papers in an old ammo box in my freezer. When my house burned down last November the firemen helped pry open the melted lump of freezer, there was the ammo box and all my papers were perfectly fine. Note: keep the box on the side where the door opens, rescuing the box is easier when they don't have to open it all the way in order to get to the other side.
When can we expect a new update from Dr. Masters?
Tomorrow morning.
how do you get down off an elephant?
Lee
Probably in the morning.
ADVANCED DVORAK TECHNIQUE
ADT-Version 8.1.3
Tropical Cyclone Intensity Algorithm
----- Current Analysis -----
Date : 20 AUG 2011 Time : 021500 UTC
Lat : 16:10:41 N Lon : 85:04:38 W
CI# /Pressure/ Vmax
3.5 / 993.2mb/ 55.0kt
Final T# Adj T# Raw T#
3.1 3.5 4.2
CAA
INV/XX/97L
MARK
14.69N/53.15W
Hopefully a situation like that won't happen this year.
It's DARK here, dont you know?
Everything is done, except all the stuff that still needs doing.
I am Totally in control of the situation.
(he said nervously...)
What time do you get here?
Ok, thanks
Yea its really amazing how such a small coast line can get hit so much in a year, but with how many storms there were affecting the CA area its no surprise.
What time do you break the seal on the rum?
(sorry)
;-)
In terms of storm surge, wouldn't it be limited due to the barrier reef?
CACA.
Lets play fantasy hurracane pick your name and place of land fall..
OK in the name of fun, and almost as accurate as many other predictions, I guess Fairbanks AK in 9 hours and Nome in 22 hours.
No Kit complete without one of these: Link
Thanks, forgot that Patrap keeps a nice preparation list.
Also thanks KEEPER for posting the list (did not want to quote since it's pretty long). I may create my own list and post it, but there is nothing like the practical experience of having gone through a major tropical event to really show what works and what does not (I sincerely hope I don't get to use the list with 97L).
The minute you get here.
Hurry.....
But the angle of approach combined with the shape of the coastline probably makes it an even wash.
Still should slow the water some...even if the heights attained are about the same.
(good thought, though)
Ah, so maybe that's why Richard was so slow to weaken?
OK, thanks
dishwasher won't work...it's attached to a drain that will back up. Scan important documents and email them to yourself at an email address you can access from any computer.
LOL
EDIT: I've been outed, I see.
The COC is definitely trying to form near the new convection that is near the buoy
Station 41040
NDBC
Location: 14.477N 53.008W
Conditions as of:
Sat, 20 Aug 2011 02:50:00 UTC
Winds: E (80°) at 21.4 kt gusting to 29.1 kt
Significant Wave Height: 7.5 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 8 sec
Atmospheric Pressure: 29.83 in and rising
Air Temperature: 79.2 F
Dew Point: 75.4 F
Water Temperature: 83.3 F
Viewing: 2801 - 2851
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