Tag Archives: Hurricane Linda

Tropical Storm Marty Develops South of Baja California

Tropical Storm Marty developed over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Baja California on Monday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Marty was located at latitude 20.0°N and longitude 111.0°W which put it about 210 miles (340 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Marty was moving toward the west at 15 m.p.h. (24 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 1000 mb.

The circulation of former Hurricane Grace developed into Tropical Storm Marty south of Baja California on Monday morning. Although the surface circulation of former Hurricane Grace dissipated when it moved across central Mexico during the weekend, the circulation in the middle and upper troposphere remained intact. New thunderstorms began to form when the middle and upper parts of the circulation moved over the Eastern North Pacific west of Mexico. Downdrafts in those thunderstorms transported momentum down to the surface and a low level circulation spun up. More thunderstorms formed near the low level center on Monday morning and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Marty.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Marty was well organized. Thunderstorms near the center of Marty were generating upper level divergence that was pumping mass away from the tropical storm. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Marty. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Marty.

Tropical Storm Marty will move through an environment somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Marty will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered near Baja California. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Marty’s circulation. Those winds will cause vertical wind shear. The wind shear will inhibit intensification, but it will not be strong enough to keep Tropical Storm Marty from getting stronger during the next 24 hours. Marty will move over cooler water on Tuesday and there will be less energy available to the tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Marty will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high will steer Marty toward the west during the next several days. On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Marty will move farther away from Baja California.

Elsewhere, the circulation of former Hurricane Linda was approaching Hawaii. At 2:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of former Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 21.0°N and longitude 154.8°W which put it about 115 miles (185 km) east of Wailuku,, Hawaii. It was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb. The circulation of former Hurricane Linda will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of Hawaii during the next several days.

Hurricane Linda Strengthens Back to Cat. 2

Hurricane Linda strengthened back to Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Tuesday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 17.9°N and longitude 129.5°W which put it about 1315 miles (2115 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Linda was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 975 mb.

The circulation around Hurricane Linda continued to be very symmetrical. A large, circular was present at the center of Linda. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and a few thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Linda. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Linda will move through an environment that will become more unfavorable for a strong hurricane during the next several days. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 25°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Cooler water will supply less energy for Hurricane Linda and it will weaken. However, symmetrical hurricanes tend to be nearly in balance with their environment. Since there will be little vertical wind shear, Hurricane Linda is likely to weaken very gradually at first. Linda will move into a region where there is more vertical wind shear later this week and it will weaken faster when that happens.

Hurricane Linda will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean during the next few days. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west-northwest. On its anticipated track Hurricane Linda will continue to move toward the Central Pacific. Linda could be northeast of Hawaii by the weekend.

Hurricane Linda Churns West

Hurricane Linda churned westward over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Sunday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 18.8°N and longitude 121.2°W which put it about 780 miles (1260 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Linda was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 969 mb.

Hurricane Linda assumed a symmetrical shape on Sunday that is sometimes called an annular hurricane. A large, circular eye with a diameter of 40 miles (65 km) was at the center of Linda. The eye was surround by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Several short bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lida. Storms near the core of Linda generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The wind field around Hurricane Linda was also very symmetrical. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 100 miles (160 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane was 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 9.9 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 29.1.

Hurricane Linda will move through an environment unfavorable for a strong hurricane during the next few days. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 25°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Cooler water will supply less energy for Hurricane Linda and it will weaken. However, symmetrical (annular) hurricanes tend to be nearly in balance with their environment. Since there will be little vertical wind shear, Hurricane Linda is likely to weaken very gradually.

Hurricane Linda will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean during the next few days. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west. On its anticipated track Hurricane Linda will continue to move toward the Central Pacific.

Hurricane Linda Strengthens to Cat. 4

Hurricane Linda strengthened to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Saturday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 19.1°N and longitude 117.0°W which put it about 525 miles (850 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Linda was moving toward the west-northwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.

Hurricane Linda continued to strengthen on Saturday and it reached Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. A circular eye with a diameter of 18 miles (30 km) was at the center of Linda. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Linda. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Linda was symmetrical. Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Linda was 25.1. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 10.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 35.3.

Hurricane Linda will begin to move over slightly cooler water on Sunday and it will start to weaken. Linda will move through an environment where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. So, Hurricane Linda is likely to weaken gradually during the next 36 hours.

Hurricane Linda will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west during the next few days. On its anticipated track Hurricane Linda will move toward the Central Pacific Ocean.

Linda Rapidly Intensifies to a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Linda rapidly intensified to a major hurricane south of Baja California on Friday afternoon. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 17.5°N and longitude 112.9°W which put it about 420 miles (675 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Linda was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (220 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 965 mb.

Hurricane Linda rapidly intensified into a major hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Friday afternoon. A circular eye with a diameter of 23 miles (35 km) was evident on visible satellite images. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Linda. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Linda will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 12 hours. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Linda could continue to intensify during the next 12 hours. Linda will start to move over slightly cooler water on Saturday, which is likely to cause the hurricane to start to weaken.

Hurricane Linda will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high will steer Linda toward the west during the next few days. On its anticipated track Hurricane Linda will move farther away from Mexico.

Linda Strengthens to a Hurricane

Former Tropical Storm Linda strengthened to a hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 14.8°N and longitude 107.7°W which put it about 365 miles (590 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Linda was moving toward the west-northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 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 991 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Linda strengthened on Thursday morning and the National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a hurricane. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the eastern side of the center of Linda and satellite images intermittently depicted the potential formation of an eye. Most of the thunderstorms in Hurricane Linda were occurring near the center of circulation and in bands in the southern half of the hurricane. Bands in the northern half of Linda consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 105 miles (165 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Linda will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered near Baja California. The ridge will produce northeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Hurricane Linda’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The wind shear will somewhat inhibit intensification but the shear will not strong enough to prevent Linda from strengthening.

Hurricane Linda will move south of a high pressure system that extends from Mexico westward over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west-northwest during the next several days. On it anticipated track Hurricane Linda will pass south of Baja California.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Depression Kevin was weakening west of Baja California. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Depression Kevin was located at latitude 23.2°N and longitude 120.6°W which put it about 465 miles (750 km) southwest of Punta Eugenia, Mexico. Kevin was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1007 mb.

Linda Rapidly Intensifies Into a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Linda rapidly intensified on Tuesday and it now has a wind speed that qualifies it as a Category 3 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  This makes Linda the fifth major hurricane in the Eastern North Pacific in 2015.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 21.3°N and longitude 113.9°W which put it about 280 miles (450 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Linda was moving toward the north-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 956 mb.

Upper level winds over Linda decreased and the reduction in vertical wind shear allowed it to intensify rapidly during the past 12 hours.  A visible eye and symmetrical eyewall are evidence of a well organized inner core.  Thunderstorms near the center of circulation are generating upper level divergence in all directions which is pumping out mass and causing the pressure to decrease.  Linda could intensify for a few more hours, but it will start to move over much cooler Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) later today.  It will be unable to extract enough energy from the cooler water to maintain its intensity and Linda will start to weaken.  As Linda moves farther north, it will also start to encounter stronger upper level winds around the southern portion of an upper level trough near the west coast of the U.S.  Increased vertical wind shear in addition to cooler SSTs will speed up the rate at which Linda weakens.  Since Linda has a large circulation, it could take longer for it to spin down.

An upper level ridge over Mexico is steering Linda toward the north-northwest and that general motion is expected to continue as long as it maintains tall thunderstorms.  When Linda weakens to a tropical storm over cooler water, the circulation will not extend as high in the atmosphere.  After that time Linda will be steered more toward the west by winds lower in the atmosphere.  On its anticipated track Linda will move parallel to the coast of Baja California for several days before turning away from the coast later this week.