Sunday, August 29, 2010 20:01PM PDT - Earl starting to batter the Islands
Here he comes... Earl is now a Category 2 hurricane, packing 100 mph winds. Some strengthening is still expected, and might become a major hurricane tomorrow. The center of the storm is now only 50 miles from Barbuda and about 130 miles from St.Martin, it just didn't want to turn north soon enough. But as we all (should) know, a hurricane is not a point, just take a look at the above satellite image. Hurricane conditions are expected starting early tomorrow morning in the northern Leeward Islands, especially for the islands of Anguilla, St.Martin and St.Barths. On the right you can find the links to reports by the special hurricane correspondents on the islands. Above use the tools to see how close the storm is or how close it can get (Closest Point of Approach). Stay safe everybody! -Gert
000
WTNT42 KNHC 300236
TCDAT2
HURRICANE EARL DISCUSSION NUMBER 19
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072010
1100 PM AST SUN AUG 29 2010
EARL HAS STRENGTHENED OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. THE AIR FORCE
HURRICANE HUNTERS RECENTLY FOUND AN SFMR-MEASURED SURFACE WIND
SPEED OF 83 KT JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER. MAXIMUM FLIGHT-LEVEL
WINDS FROM THE AIRCRAFT WERE 93 KT...WHICH ADJUSTS TO 84 KT AT THE
SURFACE USING THE STANDARD REDUCTION FACTOR. BASED ON THESE
OBSERVATIONS...THE CURRENT INTENSITY IS SET TO 85 KT. IMAGES FROM
THE GUADELOUPE AND ST. MARTIN RADARS SHOW A BANDING-TYPE EYE ABOUT
30 N MI IN DIAMETER WHILE THE RECONNAISSANCE OBSERVATIONS INDICATED
THAT THE EYE WAS OPEN OVER THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY SHOWS THAT THE UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW IS BEING IMPEDED OVER
THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT...BUT IS WELL ESTABLISHED OVER THE REMAINDER
OF THE CIRCULATION. A BROAD UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS CURRENTLY
SITUATED TO THE NORTHWEST OF EARL. GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT THAT THIS TROUGH WILL SHIFT WESTWARD AND WEAKEN. THIS
SHOULD CREATE A ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE FOR INTENSIFICATION AND THE
OFFICIAL FORECAST...LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE...SHOWS EARL BECOMING A
MAJOR HURRICANE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THE NHC WIND SPEED
FORECAST IS ABOVE THE INTENSITY MODEL CONSENSUS BUT BELOW THE
LATEST GFDL HURRICANE MODEL GUIDANCE.
INITIAL MOTION...285/13...IS ABOUT THE SAME AS IN THE PREVIOUS
ADVISORY. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST IS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE
IN 24 TO 36 HOURS AS THE HURRICANE ENCOUNTERS THE WESTERN PERIPHERY
OF A MID-TROPOSPHERIC ANTICYCLONE. BY DAYS 3 TO 4...THE HEADING
AND FORWARD SPEED OF EARL ARE DEPENDENT ON THE DETAILS OF THE
EVOLUTION OF A 500 MB TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. THE
GFS AND ECMWF SHOW THIS TROUGH AMPLIFYING MORE THAN THE OTHER
DYNAMICAL MODELS AND MOVE EARL SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER TO THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH A SHARPER EASTWARD TURN THAN THE OTHER
GUIDANCE. THE OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST IS NOT QUITE AS FAST AS THE
GFS AND ECMWF...BUT IS CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS.
THE FORECAST WIND RADII HAVE BEEN EXPANDED A LITTLE BASED ON
DYNAMICAL...MAINLY GLOBAL MODEL...GUIDANCE.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INITIAL 30/0300Z 17.9N 61.1W 85 KT
12HR VT 30/1200Z 18.5N 62.7W 90 KT
24HR VT 31/0000Z 19.6N 64.6W 100 KT
36HR VT 31/1200Z 21.1N 66.4W 110 KT
48HR VT 01/0000Z 22.8N 68.2W 115 KT
72HR VT 02/0000Z 27.5N 71.5W 115 KT
96HR VT 03/0000Z 34.0N 72.0W 100 KT
120HR VT 04/0000Z 40.0N 67.0W 85 KT
$$
FORECASTER PASCH
Go here for our new links to our Trellis Bay related blogs
www.windsurfing.vi