Tag Archives: Domincan Republic

Elsa Strengthens to a Hurricane near Barbados

Former Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened to a hurricane near Barbados on Friday morning. At 8:30 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Elsa was located at latitude 13.1°N and longitude 60.1°W which put it about 40 miles (65 km) west of Barbados. Elsa was moving toward the west-northwest at 28 m.p.h. (44 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 995 mb.

Hurricane Warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A Hurricane Watch was issued for the portion of the coast from Port Au Prince, Haiti to the southern border with the Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Martinique, the entire coast of Haiti, and for the coast from Cabo Engano, Dominican Republic to the southern border with Haiti. Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for Grenada, Jamaica, Dominca, Saba and St. Eustatius.

A weather station on Barbados measured a sustained wind speed of 74 m.p.h. (119 km/h) and a wind gust to 86 m.p.h. (139 km/h) on Friday morning, and the National Hurricane Center upgraded former Tropical Storm Elsa to a hurricane. Despite moving toward the west-northwest very quickly, Elsa intensified rapidly during Thursday night. An eye appeared to be developing at the center of Hurricane Elsa on microwave satellite imagery. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the eastern side of the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that part of the hurricane.

The distribution of thunderstorms was still asymmetrical in Hurricane Elsa. The strongest thunderstorms were occurring in bands on the eastern and southern side of Elsa. Bands in the northwestern part of the circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) on the northern side of Elsa. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Elsa will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Elsa will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move through a region where the winds in the upper and lower levels will blow from the east. The winds in the lower levels could be stronger, which would generate vertical wind shear. The shear will inhibit intensification, but Hurricane Elsa has strengthened in spite of the wind shear. Hurricane Elsa could intensify during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Elsa will move south of the subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean during the next 24 hours. The high is forecast to steer Elsa quickly toward the west-northwest. On its anticipated track the center of Hurricane Elsa will pass near St. Lucia and St. Vincent in a few hours. Elsa will produce gusty winds and locally heavy rain over the Windward Islands. Hurricane Elsa will be near Hispaniola on Saturday. Elsa could pass near Jamaica and Cuba on Sunday. Hurricane Elsa could approach South Florida or the Gulf of Mexico by early next week.

Tropical Storm Elsa Speeds Toward Windward Islands

Tropical Storm Elsa was speeding toward the Windward Islands on Thursday morning. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Elsa was located at latitude 9.6°N and longitude 50.2°W which put it about 780 miles (1255 km) east-southeast of the Windward Islands. Elsa was moving toward the west at 25 m.p.h. (40 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for Guadeloupe and Grenada.

The circulation in a tropical wave east-southeast of the Windward Islands exhibited a little more organization on Thursday morning and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Elsa. The distribution of thunderstorms around Elsa was asymmetrical. Many of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the southern half of the tropical storm. Bands in the northern half of Tropical Storm Elsa consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. A rainband appeared to be starting to wrap around the eastern side of the center of circulation. Despite the fact that the strongest thunderstorms were in the southern half of Elsa, the strongest winds were occurring north of the center of circulation. The pressure gradient between the subtropical high over the Atlantic Ocean and the tropical storm was producing the most force to the north of the center. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 100 miles (160 km) in the northern half of Tropical Storm Elsa. Winds in the southern half of the circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Elsa will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Elsa will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move through a region where the winds in the upper and lower levels will blow from the east. The winds in the lower levels could be stronger, which would generate vertical wind shear. The shear will inhibit intensification, but Tropical Storm Elsa is forecast to strengthen. If the winds in the lower levels get a little stronger than they are forecast to be, then those winds could push the lower part of Elsa west of the upper half of the tropical storm. If the lower and upper halves of Tropical Storm Elsa’s circulation decouple, then it could weaken back to a tropical wave.

Tropical Storm Elsa will move south of the subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean during the next few days. The high is forecast to steer Elsa quickly toward the west-northwest. On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Elsa will reach the Windward Islands on Friday. Elsa will produce gusty winds and locally heavy rain over the Windward Islands. Tropical Storm Elsa could be near Hispaniola on Saturday and it could approach South Florida or the Gulf of Mexico be early next week.

Tropical Storm Laura Develops, Warnings for Puerto Rico and Leeward Islands

Tropical Storm Laura developed east of the northern Leeward Islands on Friday morning.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located at latitude 17.0°N and longitude 60.2°W which put it about 210 miles (335 km) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.  Laura was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1007 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands, the U. S, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra.

Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for the portion of the north coast of Hispaniola from Le Mole St. Nicholas, Haiti to Cabron, Dominican Republic and for the Turks and Caicos, the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, and the Ragged Islands.

A NOAA plane found winds to tropical storm force in former Tropical Depression Thirteen on Friday morning and the National Hurricane Center upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Laura.  Even though the plane found winds to tropical storm force, the circulation around Tropical Storm Laura was not well organized. There were several clusters of thunderstorms in the northern half of the circulation, but there were fewer thunderstorms in the southern half of Laura.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 150 miles (240 km) on the northern side of the tropical storm.  The winds in the southern half of the circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Laura will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Laura will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  The lack of organization of the circulation around Laura will limit how quickly the tropical storm can intensify.  Tropical Storm Laura is likely to get stronger during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Laura will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the North Atlantic Ocean.  The high will steer Laura toward the west-northwest during the next several days.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Laura will move across the northern Leeward Islands later today.  Laura could reach Puerto Rico by Saturday.  Tropical Storm Laura will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the islands when it passes over them.

Elsewhere, Tropical Depression Fourteen was getting more organized over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Depression Fourteen was located at latitude 16.6°N and longitude 84.1°W which put it about 325 miles (525 km) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.  The depression was moving toward the northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.

A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Punta Herrero to Cancun, Mexico.  A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the Bay Islands, Honduras and from Punta Herrero to Cancun, Mexico.  A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Cancun to Dzilam, Mexico.

Tropical Depression 12 Forms and Warnings Issued for the Bahamas

A small center of circulation developed within a larger disturbance near the Bahamas and the National Hurricane Center classified it as Tropical Depression 12 (TD12).  At 10:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Depression 12 was located at latitude 23.0°N and longitude 73.0°W which put it about 115 miles (185 km) southeast of San Salvador in the Bahamas and about 30 miles (50 km) north of Mayaguana.  TD12 was moving toward the northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1010 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the Central and Northwestern Bahamas and for the Acklins, Samana Cays, Crooked Island and Long Cay in the Southeastern Bahamas.

Tropical Depression 12 formed when a tropical wave interacted an upper level low.  Tropical cyclones that develop in that manner tend to be poorly organized in their early stages.  Most of the stronger thunderstorms are located east and south of the center of circulation.  The surface center is located on the western edge of the convection.

Although Tropical Depression 12 is over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C, the upper level environment is marginal for intensification.  An upper level low near southwest of the depression is generating southerly upper level winds over the western part of TD12.  A small upper level high is over the eastern part of TD12.  The upper level high is generating some divergence to the east of the depression.  Some further intensification is possible and the depression could become Tropical Storm Kate on Monday.

Tropical Depression 12 could bring rain and squally weather to parts of the Bahamas.  It is near some of the same places that were hit by Hurricane Joaquin last month and it could hinder recovery efforts.