Tropical Cyclone Frances intensified into the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon on Friday as it moved northwest of Australia.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Frances was located at latitude 12.6°S and longitude 124.1°E which put it about 200 miles (325 km) north of Kuri Bay, Australia.  Frances was moving toward the west-southwest at 9 m.p.h. (14 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 981 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Frances intensified into the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon when it moved through a favorable environment.  Frances moved over water where the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) was near 30°C and the upper level winds were weak.  A primary rainband wrapped almost entirely around the center of circulation and an eyelike feature seemed to be indicated on some satellite imagery.  Thunderstorms around the eye generated upper level divergence which pumped out mass and the circulation assumed a more symmetrical circulation.  Other bands of showers and thunderstorms formed in the outer portions of the circulation.

Tropical Cyclone Frances may have reached its peak intensity.  Frances will continue to move over water where the SST is near 30°C.  However, it is about to move near the western end of an upper level ridge where there are stronger northerly winds.  Those stronger winds will create much more vertical wind shear and Tropical Cyclone Frances is likely to weaken during the next several days.

A subtropical ridge to the east of Frances is steering the tropical cyclone toward the west-southwest and that general motion is forecast to continue for the next several days.  On its anticipated track Tropical Cyclone Frances poses no threat to Western Australia, although it could cause increased wave action along the coast.