Tropical Cyclone Anggrek continued to churn over the South Indian Ocean south-southeast of Diego Garcia on Saturday. At 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday the center of Tropical Cyclone Anggrek was located at latitude 19.7°S and longitude 78.6°E which put it about 975 miles (1570 km) southeast of south-Diego Garcia. Anggrek was moving toward the west-southwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 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 965 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Anggrek continued to be the equivalent of a major hurricane as it churned over the South Indian Ocean on Saturday. A very small circular eye was present at the center of Anggrek’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 revolved around the core of Anggrek’ circulation. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone. The upper level divergence was almost in balance with the convergence in the lower atmosphere and the intensity of Tropical Cyclone Anggrek was nearly constant during the past 24 hours.

The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Anggrek was small. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Anggrek’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (150 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Anggrek was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 7.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 28.3.

Tropical Cyclone Anggrek will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Anggrek will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move under the axis of an upper level ridge over the South Indian Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Cyclone Anggrek is in an equilibrium with its environment, but Anggrek could intensify a little during the next 24 hours. However, 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 Anggrek to weaken temporarily.

Tropical Cyclone Anggrek will move around the northwestern part of a high pressure system over the South Indian Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Anggrek toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Anggrek will remain far to the south of Diego Garcia.

Elsewhere over the South Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Candice weakened rapidly south-southeast of Mauritius. At 4:00 a.m. EST on Saturday the center of Tropical Cyclone Candice was located at latitude 29.2°S and longitude 60.2°E which put it about 620 miles (1000 km) south-southeast of Port Louis, Mauritius. Candice was moving toward the south-southwest 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 1003 mb.