Tropical Cyclone Neville rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane over the South Indian Ocean east-southeast of the Cocos Islands on Thursday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Cyclone Neville was located at latitude 17.7°S and longitude 104.3°E which put it about 620 miles (1000 km) east-southeast of the Cocos, Islands. Neville was moving toward the west at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 956 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Neville rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane over the South Indian Ocean on Wednesday morning. A small circular eye was at the center of Neville’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 Tropical Cyclone Neville. Storms near the center of Neville generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone in all directions. The removal of large quantities of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Neville was small. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Neville’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Neville was 22.1. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 7.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 29.3.

Tropical Cyclone Neville will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Neville 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 Cyclone Neville will intensify during the next 24 hours. Neville could continue to intensify rapidly during the next few hours.

Tropical Cyclone Neville will move around the northern side of a high pressure system over the South Indian Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Neville toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Neville will pass south of the Cocos Islands on Friday.