Hurricane Dora Moves Across the International Date Line

Hurricane Dora moved across the International Date Line on Friday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 15.9°N and longitude 179.4°E which put it about 860 miles (1390 km) south of Midway Island. Dora was moving toward the west-northwest at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 972 mb.

Hurricane Dora was weakening as it moved across the International Date Line on Friday night. Dora was moving under the western part of an upper level ridge over the Central Pacific Ocean. The ridge was producing southerly winds that were blowing toward the top of Dora’s circulation. Those winds were causing the vertical wind shear to increase and the wind shear was causing Hurricane Dora to weaken.

There still was a small eye at the center of Hurricane Dora. 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 Dora’s circulation. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Dora. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 7.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 24.8.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. However, the upper level ridge will continue to cause moderate to strong vertical wind shear. The wind shear will cause Hurricane Dora to weaken during the next 24 hours. Dora could weaken quickly even though it is over warm water, because it is such a small hurricane.

Hurricane Dora will move around the western side of a high pressure system over the Central Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track Hurricane Dora could be east of Wake Island in 48 hours.