Tag Archives: Puerto de Altamira

Tropical Storm Forming over Western Gulf of Mexico

A tropical storm is forming over the western Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning.  The low pressure system is currently designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone One.  At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone One was located at latitude 22.7°N and longitude 94.3°W which put it about 235 miles (380 km) east-southeast of La Pesca, Mexico and about 295 miles (475 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas.  The low pressure system was moving toward the west-northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 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 997 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from San Luis Pass, Texas to Puerto de Altamira, Mexico. The Tropical Storm Warning includes Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas.

A low pressure system over the western Gulf of Mexico, currently designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone One, on Wednesday morning is beginning to develop a structure more like a tropical cyclone.  Thunderstorms are staring to develop near the center of the low pressure system.  A band of thunderstorms wraps around the southern and eastern side of Potential Tropical Cyclone One.  Other bands of showers and thunderstorms are revolving around the middle of the low pressure system.

The distribution of winds around Potential Tropical Cyclone One is still asymmetrical.  The winds near the middle of the low pressure system are relatively weak.  The strongest winds are occurring in a band of thunderstorms about 400 miles (645 km) north of the middle of Potential Tropical Cyclone One.  Some of the winds in that band of storms are blowing at tropical storm force.  An anemometer at Garden Banks 783 (KGBK) is measuring a sustained wind speed of 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and wind gusts of 50 m.p.h (80 km/h).  The anemometer is at a height of 58.2 meters above sea level.  The winds in the rest of the low pressure system are blowing at less than tropical storm force.

The low pressure system will move through an environment favorable for the development of a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.  Potential Tropical Cyclone One will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the the center of an upper level ridge over the western Gulf of Mexico.  The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Potential Tropical Cyclone One is forecast to develop into a tropical storm during the next 24 hours.  In order to be classified as a tropical cyclone, a distinct low level center of circulation will have to form.  Thunderstorms will have to develop and to persist near the low level center.  The strongest winds will need to occur near the low level center of circulation in order for Potential Tropical Cyclone One to be classified as a tropical storm.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One will move south of a strong high pressure system over the eastern U.S.  The strong high pressure system will block Potential Tropical Cyclone One and the high pressure system will prevent the low pressure system from moving toward the north.  The high pressure system will steer the low pressure system toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Potential Tropical Cyclone One could approach the coast of northern Mexico and southern Texas on Wednesday evening.  The center of the low pressure system is likely to make landfall between Tampico and La Pesca, Mexico

Potential Tropical Cyclone One is likely to be a tropical storm when it approaches the coast.  The low pressure system will produce gusty winds along the coast of Texas and northern Mexico.  Potential Tropical Cyclone One will also drop heavy rain on parts of northern Mexico and southern Texas.  Up to 12 inches (300 mm) of rain could fall on parts of south Texas.  Flood Watches were in effect for parts of South Central, Southeast and South Texas.  Up to 20 inches (500 mm) of rain could fall on parts of northern Mexico where the winds blow the air up the slopes of mountains.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One will cause a storm surge of up to four feet (one meter) where the winds blow the water toward the coast.  The water is already causing some flooding along parts of the coast of Texas.

Tropical Storm Warnings Issued for South Texas and Northern Mexico

Tropical Storm Warnings were issued for the coast of south Texas and northern Mexico early on Tuesday. A low pressure system over the southern Gulf of Mexico was designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone One. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone One was located at latitude 21.5°N and longitude 92.8°W which put it about 355 miles (575 km) east-southeast of La Pesca, Mexico and about 420 miles (680 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The low pressure system was moving toward the north at 6 m.p.h. (10 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 999 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Port O’Connor, Texas to Puerto de Altamira, Mexico. The Tropical Storm Warning included Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas.

A large low pressure system was over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning. The low pressure system did not exhibit the usual structural features of a tropical cyclone. So, the U.S. National Hurricane Center continued to designate the system as Potential Tropical Cyclone One.

The large low pressure system still did not have a well defined, distinct low level center of circulation. There were few thunderstorms in the broad region around the middle of the low pressure system. The surface winds were relatively weak near the middle of the low pressure system. The strongest winds were occurring in a band of thunderstorms about 285 miles (460 km) north of the middle of Potential Tropical Cyclone One. Some winds in that area were blowing at tropical storm force. Elsewhere in the low pressure system, the winds were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

The low pressure system will move through an environment favorable for the development of a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours. Potential Tropical Cyclone One will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under the the center of an upper level ridge centered near the Yucatan Peninsula. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Potential Tropical Cyclone One could develop into a tropical storm during the next 24 hours. In order to be classified as a tropical cyclone, a distinct low level center of circulation would have to form. Thunderstorms would have to develop and to persist near the low level center. The strongest winds would need to occur near the low level center of circulation in order for Potential Tropical Cyclone One to be classified as a tropical storm.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One will move around the northern part of a large counterclockwise circulation called a Central American Gyre (CAG) during the next 12 hours. The Central American Gyre will steer the low pressure system toward the north-northwest on Tuesday. A strong high pressure system over the eastern U.S. will block Potential Tropical Cyclone One from moving toward the north on Wednesday. The high pressure system will turn the low pressure system toward the west-northwest. On its anticipated track, Potential Tropical Cyclone One could approach the coast of northern Mexico or southern Texas on Wednesday evening.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One could be a tropical storm when it approaches the coast. That is the reason the Tropical Storm Warnings were issued. Even if Potential Tropical Cyclone One does not develop into a tropical storm, it will drop heavy rain on parts of northern Mexico and southern Texas. The low pressure system could also cause a storm surge of up to four feet (one meter) where the winds blow the water toward the coast.

Flood Watches were in effect for portions of South Central and Southeast Texas.