Tropical Cyclone Neville was spinning over the South Indian Ocean southeast of the Cocos Islands on Friday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Neville was located at latitude 18.6°S and longitude 98.7°E which put it about 445 miles (720 km) south-southeast of the Cocos, Islands. Neville was moving toward the west-southwest at 16 m.p.h. (26 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 968 mb.

A small circular eye with a diameter of 10 miles (16 km) 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 upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone.

The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Neville was small. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Neville’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Neville was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 9.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 26.8.

Tropical Cyclone Neville will move through an environment that will become less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Neville will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. An upper level trough over the South Indian Ocean will approach Neville’s circulation from the west. The upper level trough will produce northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Neville’s circulation. Those winds will also cause the vertical wind shear to increase. Tropical Cyclone Neville is likely to weaken when the vertical wind shear increases.

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-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Neville will pass south of the Cocos Islands later today.