Tag Archives: Ambovombe

Tropical Cyclone Honde Moves Away from Southern Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Honde moved away from southern Madagascar on Monday.  At 4:00 a.m. EST on Monday the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde was located at latitude 27.5°S and longitude 46.9°E which put the center about 220 miles (355 km) south-southeast of Ambovombe, Madagascar.  Honde was moving toward the southeast at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 984 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Honde appeared to be beginning the start of a transition to an extratropical cyclone as it moved away from southern Madagascar on Monday.  Changes to the appearance of Honde’s circulation were evident on satellite images.  Some drier air was being pulled around the northern side of the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde and a dry slot was visible in satellite images.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were still revolving around the center of Honde’s circulation.  Storms near the center of Honde still generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the southeast of the tropical cyclone.  The removal of mass in the upper levels was less than the inflow of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure was increasing.

The area of tropical storm force winds in Tropical Cyclone Honde decreased as Honde weakened.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 100 miles (160 km) from the center of Honde’s circulation.

Tropical Cyclone Honde will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification of a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.  Honde will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 26°C.  It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough near southern Africa.  The upper level trough will produce northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Honde’s circulation.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The moderate vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification.  The wind shear will cause Tropical Cyclone Honde to continue its transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.

The upper level trough near southern Africa will steer Tropical Cyclone Honde toward the southeast during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde will continue to move farther away from southern Madagascar.

Several bands in the northern periphery of Tropical Cyclone Honde were still over southern Madagascar.  Those rainbands will continue to bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of southern Madagascar during the next 24 hours.  Additional heavy rain will likely cause flash floods in some locations.

Tropical Cyclone Honde Lingers Near Southern Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Honde lingered near southern Madagascar on Sunday.  At 4:00 a.m. EST on Sunday the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde was located at latitude 27.1°S and longitude 46.1°E which put the center about 195 miles (315 km) south of Ambovombe, Madagascar.  Honde was moving toward the southeast at 2 m.p.h. (3 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 975 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Honde was the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon as it lingered near southern Madagascar on Sunday.  A circular eye with a diameter of 20 miles (32 km) was at the center of Honde’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 Honde.  Storms near the center of Honde generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone.  The divergence of mass in the upper levels of the atmosphere was almost balanced by the inflow of mass in the lower levels of Tropical Cyclone Honde.  As a result, the surface pressure was not changing much.

The size of the circulation around Tropical Cyclone Honde was smaller on Sunday.  Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) in the southern half of Honde’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde.

Tropical Cyclone Honde will move through an environment that will become less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Honde will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough near southern Africa.  The upper level trough will produce northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Honde’s circulation.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The moderate vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification.  Tropical Cyclone Honde will likely maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours.

The upper level trough near southern Africa will steer Tropical Cyclone Honde toward the southeast during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Cyclone Honde will gradually move farther away from southern Madagascar.

Bands in the northern side of Tropical Cyclone Honde will continue to bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of southern Madagascar during the next 24 hours.  Additional heavy rain will likely cause flash floods in some locations.

Elsewhere over the Southwest Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Garance was making a transformation to and extratropical cyclone far to the south of La Reunion.  At 4:00 a.m. EST on Sunday the center of Tropical Cyclone Garance was located at latitude 33.8°S and longitude 59.9°E which put the center about 925 miles (1495 km) south-southeast of St. Denis, La, Reunion.  Garance was moving toward the southeast at 25 m.p.h. (40 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.