Tropical Storm Amanda continued to spin over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean far to the southwest of Baja California on Friday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Amanda was located at latitude 13.1°N and longitude 134.1°W which put the center about 1725 miles (2775 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Amanda was moving toward the west at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.
Tropical Storm Amanda started to weaken on Friday as it spun far to the southwest of Baja California. Amanda moved into a region with drier, more stable air. The drier air and more vertical wind shear caused some of the thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Amanda to dissipate. Thunderstorms were still occurring in bands west of the center of Amanda’s circulation. Bands in the other parts of Tropical Storm Amanda consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.
Thunderstorms west of the center of Tropical Storm Amanda generated less upper level divergence. The removal of mass in the upper levels of the atmosphere was less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels. So, the net inflow of mass caused the surface pressure to increase slowly.
The circulation around Tropical Storm Amanda was very small. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Amanda’s circulation.
Tropical Storm Amanda will move through an environment unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Amanda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. It will move under the western part of an upper level ridge that is west of Mexico. The upper level ridge will produce southeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Amanda’s circulation. Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. In addition, Tropical Storm Amanda will continue to move through a region of drier air. The vertical wind shear and the drier air will cause Tropical Storm Amanda to continue to weaken during the next 24 hours.
Tropical Storm Amanda will move around the southern part of a high pressure system that is over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Amanda slowly toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Amanda will remain far to the southwest of Baja California.