Monthly Archives: October 2023

Tropical Storm Sean Moves West of Cabo Verde Islands

Tropical Storm Sean moved west of the Cabo Verde Islands on Thursday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Sean was located at latitude 13.8°N and longitude 38.2°W which put it about 960 miles (1545 km) west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Sean was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 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 Sean did not change much on Thursday. An upper level trough over the central Atlantic Ocean was producing southwesterly winds that were blowing toward the top of Sean’s circulation. Those winds were causing strong vertical wind shear. The wind shear was causing the distribution of thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Sean to be asymmetrical. Thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the northeastern quadrant of Sean’s circulation. Bands in the other parts of Tropical Storm Sean consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. The distribution of wind speeds was also asymmetrical. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 105 miles (165 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Tropical Storm Sean. The winds in the other parts of Sean’s circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Sean will move through an environment marginally favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Sean will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will continue to move under the eastern side of an upper level trough over the central Atlantic Ocean. The upper level trough will continue to strong vertical wind shear. The wind shear is likely to inhibit intensification. Tropical Storm Sean could maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Sean will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system that extends from West Africa to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Sean toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Sean will move farther away from the Cabo Verde Islands.

Typhoon Bolaven Gets Even Stronger

Typhoon Bolaven got even stronger on Wednesday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Bolaven was located at latitude 19.3°N and longitude 142.9°E which put it about 420 miles (675 km) south-southeast of Iwo To. Bolaven was moving toward the northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 180 m.p.h. (290 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 220 m.p.h. (355 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 904 mb.

Typhoon Bolaven grew even more powerful on Wednesday morning. A circular eye with a diameter of 16 miles (26 km) was at the center of Bolaven’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Bolaven. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large quantities of mass away from the typhoon. The removal of large amounts of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease to 904 mb.

The circulation around Typhoon Bolaven was very symmetrical. Winds to typhoon force extended out 45 miles (65 km) from the center of Bolaven’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 195 miles (315 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Bolaven was 42.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 18.4 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 60.6. Typhoon Bolaven was similar in intensity to Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Bolaven was bigger than Dorian was.

Typhoon Bolaven will move through an environment favorable for a very powerful typhoon during the next 24 hours. Bolaven will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Bolaven could maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then concentric eyewalls could form. If concentric eyewalls form, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause Typhoon Bolaven to weaken.

Typhoon Bolaven will move around the western part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bolaven toward the north during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the Typhoon Bolaven will move closer to Iwo To.

Tropical Storm Sean Forms over the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

Tropical Storm Sean formed over the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Storm Sean was located at latitude 10.3°N and longitude 33.1°W which put it about 725 miles (1170 km) west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Sean was moving toward the west-northwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 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.

A low pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean west-southwest of Cabo Verde Islands strengthened on Wednesday morning and the U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Sean. More thunderstorms began to form near the center of Sean’s circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of circulation. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the north of the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Tropical Storm Sea. The winds in the other parts of Sean’s circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Sean will move through an environment somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Sean will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough over the central Atlantic Ocean. The upper level trough will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the top of Sean’s circulation. Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. The wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the shear may not be strong enough to prevent intensification. Tropical Storm Sean is likely to intensify during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Sean will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system that extends from West Africa to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Sean toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Sean will move farther away from the Cabo Verde Islands.

Typhoon Bolaven Rapidly Intensifies to Equivalent of Cat. 5 Hurricane

Typhoon Bolaven rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Tuesday evening. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Bolaven was located at latitude 17.5°N and longitude 143.8°E which put it about 245 miles (390 km) north-northwest of Guam. Bolaven was moving toward the north-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 160 m.p.h. (260 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 185 m.p.h. (295 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 920 mb.

Typhoon Warnings were in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Agrihan, Pagan and Alamagan.

Typhoon Bolaven rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane west of the Marianas on Tuesday evening. A small circular eye with a diameter of 14 miles (22 km) was at the center of Bolaven’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Bolaven. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Bolaven was very symmetrical. Winds to typhoon force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Bolaven’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 185 miles (295 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Bolaven was 35.0. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 11.5 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 46.5.

Typhoon Bolaven will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Bolaven will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Bolaven could continue to intensify during the next 24 hours. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then concentric eyewalls could form. If concentric eyewalls form, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause Typhoon Bolaven to weaken.

Typhoon Bolaven will move around the western part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bolaven toward the north-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the Typhoon Bolaven will stay west of the Marianas during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Lidia Hits Mexico Near Puerto Vallarta

Powerful Hurricane Lidia hit the coast of Mexico near Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday evening. At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lidia was located at latitude 20.1°N and longitude 105.5°W which put it about 35 miles (55 km) south-southwest of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Lidia was moving toward the east-northeast at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 140 m.p.h. (220 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 165 m.p.h. (265 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 942 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to El Roblito, Mexico. A Hurricane Warning was in effect for Las Islas Marias. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from El Roblito to Mazatlan, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to Punta San Telmo, Mexico.

Hurricane Lidia rapidly intensified to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale prior to making landfall on the west coast of Mexico. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Lidia. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 28.3. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 9.8 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 38.1. Hurricane Lidia was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Charley when Charley hit Southwest Florida in 2004.

An upper level trough west of Baja California will steer Hurricane Lidia toward the northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Lidia will move quickly inland over Jalisco. Lidia will weaken steadily as it moves farther inland. Even though it will weaken, Hurricane Lidia be capable of causing severe damage. Lidia will bring strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain. Regional outages of electricity are likely. Heavy rain will fall in Jalisco and Nayarit. The heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Hurricane Lidia could cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) along the coast of Jalisco.

Typhoon Bolaven Rapidly Intensifies to Equivalent of a Major Hurricane

Typhoon Bolaven rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane over the Western North Pacific Ocean north of Guam on Tuesday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Bolaven was located at latitude 16.4°N and longitude 144.3°E which put it about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Tinian. Bolaven was moving toward the north-northwest at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 145 m.p.h. (230 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 959 mb.

A Typhoon Warning was in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan. A Typhoon Watch was in effect for Guam. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Guam.

Typhoon Bolaven brought strong winds and heavy rain to Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. The center of Bolaven passed between Rota and Tinian and the strongest winds likely occurred in those places. A weather station in Saipan reported a sustained wind speed of 49 m.p.h. (79 km/h) and a wind gust of 68 m.p.h. (110 km/h). A weather station at Guam International Airport reported a sustained wind speed of 32 m.p.h. (52 km/h) and a wind gust of 46 m.p.h. (74 km/h). That weather station also measured 4.54 inches (115.3 mm) of rain.

Typhoon Bolaven began to intensify rapidly as it moved west of the Marianas. A small circular eye with a diameter of 14 miles (22 km) developed at the center of Bolaven’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Bolaven. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The size of the circulation around Typhoon Bolaven increased when it intensified on Tuesday. Winds to typhoon force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Bolaven’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 185 miles (295 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Bolaven was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 11.5 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 32.1.

Typhoon Bolaven will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Bolaven will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Bolaven will intensify during the next 24 hours. Bolaven could intensify rapidly at times. Typhoon Bolaven could strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Typhoon Bolaven will move around the western part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bolaven toward the north-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the Typhoon Bolaven will stay west of the Marianas during the next 24 hours.

Lidia Rapidly Intensifies to a Major Hurricane Southwest of Puerto Vallarta

Hurricane Lidia rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday afternoon. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lidia was located at latitude 19.2°N and longitude 107.2°W which put it about 155 miles (255 km) southwest of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Lidia was moving toward the east-northeast at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (220 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 959 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to El Roblito, Mexico. A Hurricane Warning was in effect for Las Islas Marias. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from El Roblito to Mazatlan, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to Punta San Telmo, Mexico.

Hurricane Lidia rapidly intensified to a major hurricane on Tuesday. A U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter plane reported a circular eye with a diameter of 17 miles (28 km) was present at the center of Lidia’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Hurricane Lidia. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The size of the circulation around Hurricane Lidia increased on Tuesday. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Lidia. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 125 miles (200 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 8.5 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 29.1. Hurricane Lidia was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Zeta when Zeta made landfall in Louisiana in 2020.

Hurricane Lidia will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few hours. Lidia will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough that is west of Baja California. The upper level trough will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Lidia’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear, but the wind shear will not be strong enough to prevent intensification. Hurricane Lidia will intensity during the next few hours. Lidia could continue to intensify rapidly.

The upper level trough west of Baja California will steer Hurricane Lidia toward the northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Hurricane Lidia will make landfall near Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday evening. Lidia will be a major hurricane when it makes landfall. Hurricane Lidia will bring strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain. The strong winds will be capable of causing major damage. Regional outages of electricity are likely. Heavy rain will fall in Jalisco and Nayarit. The heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Hurricane Lidia could cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) along the coast of Jalisco.

Hurricane Lidia Approaches West Coast of Mexico

Hurricane Lidia was approaching the west coast of Mexico on Tuesday morning. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lidia was located at latitude 18.8°N and longitude 108.3°W which put it about 235 miles (380 km) west-southwest of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Lidia was moving toward the east-northeast at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 977 mb.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Playa Perula to Escuinapa, Mexico. A Hurricane Warning is also in effect for Las Islas Marias. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to Playa Perula, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Escuinapa to Mazatlan, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to Playa Perula, Mexico.

Hurricane Lidia was intensifying as it approached the west coast of Mexico on Tuesday morning. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Lidia’s circulation. The strongest winds were occurring near the center of circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Hurricane Lidia. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Lidia. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Lidia will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few hours. Lidia will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough that is west of Baja California. The upper level trough will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Lidia’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear, but the wind shear will not be strong enough to prevent intensification. Hurricane Lidia will intensity during the next few hours. Lidia could intensify rapidly.

The upper level trough west of Baja California will steer Hurricane Lidia toward the northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Hurricane Lidia will make landfall near Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday evening. Lidia will bring strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain. The strong winds will be capable of causing serious damage. Outages of electricity are likely. Heavy rain will fall in Jalisco and Nayarit. The heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Hurricane Lidia could cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of Jalisco.

Bolaven Strengthens to a Typhoon East of Guam

Former Tropical Storm Bolaven strengthened to a typhoon east of Guam on Monday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Typhoon Bolaven was located at latitude 14.0°N and longitude 146.0°E which put it about 110 miles (175 km) east of Guam. Bolaven was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 990 mb.

A Typhoon Warning was in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan. A Typhoon Watch was in effect for Guam. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Guam.

Former Tropical Storm Bolaven strengthened to a typhoon as it neared the Marianas on Monday night. A circular eye formed at the center of Bolaven’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Bolaven. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The size of the circulation around Bolaven increased when it intensified on Monday. Winds to typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Bolaven’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of circulation.

Typhoon Bolaven will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Bolaven will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Bolaven will intensify during the next 24 hours. Bolaven could intensify rapidly at times.

Typhoon Bolaven will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bolaven toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center Typhoon Bolaven will pass near Rota in a few hours.

Typhoon Bolaven will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Rota, Tinian and Saipan. The strongest winds are likely to occur in Rota and Tinian. Bolaven will also produce gusty winds and heavy rain in Guam. The strong winds will be capable of causing damage and electricity outages are likely. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.

Tropical Storm Max Brings Wind and Rain to Southern Mexico

Tropical Storm Max brought wind and rain to southern Mexico on Monday afternoon. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Max was located at latitude 17.6°N and longitude 101.0°W which put it about 40 miles (65 km) east of Zihuantenajo, Mexico. Max was moving toward the north-northeast at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 995 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Acapulco to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.

The center of Tropical Storm Max made landfall on the coast of Mexico between Petatlan and Papanoa on Monday afternoon. The maximum sustained wind speed in Tropical Storm Max at the time of landfall was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). Winds to tropical storm force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Max’s circulation. A weather station at Puerto Vicente Guerrero reported a sustained wind speed of 41 m.p.h. (66 km/h) and a wind gust of 72 m.p.h. (116 km/h).

Tropical Storm Max will move around the western side of a high pressure system over the Caribbean Sea and Mexico. The high pressure system will steer max toward the north-northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Max will move inland over Guerrero during Monday night.

Tropical Storm Max will weaken rapidly when it moves over the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains in Gurrero. Even though Max will weaken rapidly, the tropical storm is likely to drop locally heavy rain in parts of Guerrero. The heaviest rain will fall in places where the winds push the air up the slopes of mountains. The heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Lidia was on the threshold of intensifying to a hurricane south of Baja California. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Lidia was located at latitude 18.1°N and longitude 110.9°W which put it about 340 miles (545 km) south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Lidia was moving toward the east-northeast at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (110 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 985 mb.

Tropical Storm Lidia is forecast to intensify to a hurricane as it moves toward the west coast of Mexico on Monday night. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Playa Perula to Escuinapa, Mexico. A Hurricane Warning is also in effect for Las Islas Marias. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Escuinapa to Bahia Tempehuaya, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for the portion of the coast from Manzanillo to Playa Perula, Mexico.