At 7:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday the center of Tropical Cyclone Bansi was located at latitude 17.4°S and longitude 58.2°E which put it about 200 miles north-northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius.  Bansi was moving toward the east-southeast at 3 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 130 m.p.h. and it was estimated there could be wind gusts to 160 m.p.h.  The estimated minimum surface pressure was 944 mb.

An outer rain band wrapped completely around the existing eyewall of Tropical Cyclone Bansi to create concentric eyewalls.  As the low level convergence became concentrated on the outer eyewall, the inner eyewall began to weaken.  This resulted in a reduction of the maximum sustained wind speed and a rise in the minimum surface pressure.  Satellite imagery indicates that most of the inner eyewall has dissipated, but some of it still remains.  The strongest winds are now occurring in the outer eyewall.  The eyewall replacement cycle also resulted in a larger circulation.  Bansi is still over warm Sea Surface Temperatures and the upper level winds are relatively weak.  So, some reintensification is possible during the next 24 hours, but it is always challenging to predict intensity changes after an eyewall replacement cycle.  As Bansi moves to higher latitudes, the Sea Surface Temperature will decrease and wind shear will increase.  So, Bansi is expected to weaken later this week.

Bansi remains in an area of weak steering winds.  As a result, it is moving slowly toward the east-southeast.  A subtropical ridge is expected to strengthen in about 24 hours and begin to steer Bansi southeastward at an increasing speed.  The projected track is expected to keep the core of Bansi northeast of Mauritius.