Tag Archives: Tropical Storm Kevin

Tropical Storm Linda Forms South of Mexico

Tropical Storm Linda formed south of Mexico on Tuesday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Linda was located at latitude 14.4°N and longitude 102.8°W which put it about 260 miles (480 km) southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Linda was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 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 1003 mb.

The circulation around a low pressure system south of Mexico strengthened on Tuesday afternoon and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Linda. The inner end of a rainband was wrapping around the western and southern sides of the center of Linda. Other bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of circulation. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) on the eastern side of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 60 miles in the western half of the circulation.

Tropical Storm Linda will move through an environment relatively favorable for intensification during the next 48 hours. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered over Mexico. The ridge will produce northeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Tropical Storm Linda’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The wind shear will inhibit intensification but it may not strong enough to prevent Linda from strengthening.

Tropical Storm Linda will move south of a high pressure system that extends from Mexico westward over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west-northwest during the next several days. On it anticipated track Tropical Storm Linda will move away from Mexico.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kevin was spinning south of Baja California. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Kevin was located at latitude 19.1°N and longitude 115.5°W which put it about 445 miles (720 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Kevin was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.

Tropical Storm Kevin Forms Southwest of Mexico

Tropical Storm Kevin formed southwest of Mexico on Saturday afternoon. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Kevin was located at latitude 15.8°N and longitude 106.8°W which put it about 530 miles (855 km) south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California. Kevin was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 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 1005 mb.

More thunderstorms developed near the center of a low pressure system southwest of Mexico on Saturday afternoon and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Kevin. The circulation around Kevin exhibited more organization as the day progressed. As mentioned previously, more thunderstorms formed near the center of circulation. More thunderstorms also developed in bands revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Kevin. Storm near the center began to generate upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles in the northern half of Kevin’s circulation. Winds in the southern half of the circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Kevin will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Kevin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Kevin will continue to intensify and it could strengthen into a hurricane by Monday.

Tropical Storm Kevin will move south of a ridge of high pressure that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The ridge will steer Kevin toward the west-northwest during the next few days. On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Kevin will remain south of Baja California.

Tropical Storm Kevin Forms Southwest of Baja California

Vertical wind shear decreased enough on Thursday to allow more thunderstorms to develop near the center of Tropical Depression 14E and the National Hurricane Center upgraded it to Tropical Storm Kevin.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Kevin was located at latitude 17.9°N and longitude 115.6°W which put it about 505 miles (815 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Kevin was moving toward the north at 6 m.p.h. (9 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.

Tropical Storm Kevin is a small tropical cyclone.  Winds to tropical storm force only extend out about 70 miles (115 km) from the center of circulation.  There is one short spiral band wrapping around the northwest side of the center and another short band wrapping around the southwest side of the center.  There are not many thunderstorms in the eastern half of the circulation.  Kevin is over water where the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is near 29°C.  However, a large, high amplitude upper level trough along the west coast of the U.S. is generating moderate southwesterly winds over the top of Kevin.  The vertical wind shear inhibited the development of Kevin, but the shear seems to have lessened today and the circulation in the tropical storm has consolidated around the center.  Thunderstorms near the center of Kevin are generating upper level divergence over a small area.

As Kevin moves farther north it will move over cooler SSTs.   When it gets north of latitude 22°N, Kevin will move over SSTs cooler than 26°C.  If the vertical wind shear remains moderate, Kevin could intensify further during the next 24 to 48 hours.  After about two days, the tropical storm will move over cooler SSTs and into an area with more vertical wind shear.  At that point Kevin is likely to start to spin down.

A ridge over Mexico is steering Kevin toward the north and that general motion is expected to continue for another day or two.  When Kevin moves over cooler SSTs, the thunderstorms will not be as tall and it will be steered by the winds lower in the atmosphere.  Those winds could push Kevin more toward the west during the weekend.