Tag Archives: Santiago

Potential Tropical Cyclone Six Causes Warning for Cabo Verde Islands

The potential strengthening of Potential Tropical Cyclone Six caused the government of the Cabo Verde Islands to issue Tropical Storm Warnings for some of the southern islands on Thursday.  Tropical Storm Warnings were issued to Santiago, Fogo and Brava.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Six was located at latitude 12.9°N and longitude 19.4°W which put it about 360 miles (580 km) east-southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands.  It was moving toward the west at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1007 mb.

The circulation of of Potential Tropical Cyclone Six was still organizing.  There was a broad area of low pressure, but there was not a well defined center of circulation.  Numerous bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the circulation of the broad low.  Many of the stronger thunderstorms were in the outer part of the circulation.  Since there were few thunderstorm in the inner portion of the circulation, it had not started to generate upper level divergence.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Six will be moving through an area favorable for intensification.  It will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C.  It will move through a region where there will be little vertical wind shear.  Potential Tropical Cyclone Six is forecast to become a tropical depression during the next 12 hours.  It could strengthen into a tropical storm on Friday and it could intensify into a hurricane during the weekend.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Six will move south of a subtropical ridge over the eastern Atlantic Ocean during the next few days.  The ridge will steer the system toward the west-northwest.  On its anticipated track Potential Tropical Cyclone Six will pass near the southern Cabo Verde Islands on Friday, which is why the Tropical Storm Warning was issued.