Tropical Cyclone Mandous Weakens over the Arabian Sea

Tropical Cyclone Mandous weakened over the Arabian Sea on Friday. At 4:00 a.m. EST on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Mandous was located at latitude 13.6°N and longitude 64.1°E which put it about 600 miles (970 km) southeast of Masirah, Island. Mandous was moving toward the west at 7 m.p.h. (11 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 1003 mb.

The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Mandous weakened over the Arabian Sea on Friday. An upper level ridge centered over India produced southwesterly winds that blew the tops off of many of the thunderstorms in Mandous. The remaining thunderstorms were in bands in the eastern periphery of Tropical Cyclone Mandous. Bands in the rest of Mandous’ circulation consisted of showers and lower clouds.

Tropical Cyclone Mandous will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next several days. Mandous will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. However, the upper level ridge over India will continue to produce southwesterly winds will blow across the top of Mandous’ circulation. Those winds will continue to cause strong vertical wind shear. In addition, northeasterly winds in the lower levels will transport drier air from Asia over the western Arabian Sea. A combination of strong vertical wind shear and drier air in the lower levels of the atmosphere will cause Tropical Cyclone Mandous to continue to weaken. The circulation around Mandous will gradually spin down during the next several days.

Tropical Cyclone Mandous will move south of a high pressure system over southern Asia and the northern Arabian Sea. The high pressure system will steer Mandous toward the west during the next several days. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Mandous move slowly across the central Arabian Sea.