Powerful Tropical Cyclone Vince was passing far to the south of Diego Garcia on Friday. At 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Vince was located at latitude 20.1°S and longitude 75.3°E which put the center about 925 miles (1495 km) south-southeast of Diego Garcia. Vince was moving toward the west at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 185 m.p.h. (295 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 932 mb.
Powerful Tropical Cyclone Vince maintained its intensity as it passed far to the south of Diego Garcia on Friday. A circular eye with a diameters of 23 miles (37 km) was at the center of Vince’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Storms near the center of Vince generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large quantities of 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. The effect of the near balance of divergence and inflow was to keep the surface pressure nearly steady.
The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Vince was very symmetrical. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Vince’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Vince.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Vince is 31.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 15.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 47.2. Tropical Cyclone Vince is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Ida when Ida hit Louisiana in 2021
.Tropical Cyclone Vince will move through an environment favorable for an intense tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours. Vince will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move under the northern part of an upper level ridge over the South Indian Ocean. The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Vince’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the shear will not be enough to prevent intensification. Tropical Cyclone Vince is likely to maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours, unless an eyewall replacement cycle occurs.
Tropical Cyclone Vince will move around the northern side of a high pressure system over the South Indian Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Vince toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track Tropical Cyclone Vince will move toward Rodrigues.
Elsewhere over the South Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Taliah was passing south of the Cocos Islands. At 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Taliah was located at latitude 15.8°S and longitude 96.4°E which put the center about 250 miles (400 km) south of the Cocos Islands. Taliah was moving toward the west at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 986 mb.