Tropical Cyclone Fytia was passing southwest of La Reunion on Monday morning.  At 10:00 a.m. EST on Monday the center of Tropical Cyclone Fytia was located at latitude 22.3°S and longitude 53.4°E which put the center about 180 miles (290 km) southwest of St. Denis, La Reunion.  Fytia was moving toward the south-southeast at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Fytia exhibited signs of the beginning of a transition to an extratropical cyclone on Monday morning.  The distribution of thunderstorms in Fytia was becoming asymmetrical.  Most of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the western half of Fytia’s circulation.  Many of the bands in the eastern side of Tropical Cyclone Fytia consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storms near the center of Fytia still were generating upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the southeast of the tropical cyclone.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The distribution of winds speeds in Tropical Cyclone Fytia was also more asymmetrical on Monday morning.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 120 miles (195 km) in the southern half of Fytia’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) in the northern half of Tropical Cyclone Fytia.

Tropical Cyclone Fytia will move into an environment that will become unfavorable for intensification of a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.  Fytia will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  It will move under the southwestern part of an upper level ridge that is over La Reunion and Mauritius.  The upper level ridge will produce strong northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Fytia’s circulation.  Those winds will cause strong vertical wind shear.  The strong vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification.  The strong vertical wind shear will also cause Tropical Cyclone Fytia to make a gradual transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next several days.  Fytia is likely to weaken slowly during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Cyclone Fytia will move around the southwestern side of a high pressure system that is over the Southwest Indian Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Fytia toward the southeast during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Fytia will pass south of La Reunion and Mauritius during the middle part of this week.