Tag Archives: Tropical Depression Ida

Tropical Storm Larry Forms South of Cabo Verde Islands

Tropical Storm Larry formed south of the Cabo Verde Islands on Wednesday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Storm Larry was located at latitude 12.3°N and longitude 24.8°W which put it about 175 miles (280 km) south of the Cabo Verde Islands. Larry was moving toward the west at 9 m.p.h. (15 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 1003 mb.

Satellite images indicated that former Tropical Depression Twelve had strengthened on Wednesday morning and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Larry. The circulation around Tropical Storm Larry exhibited more organization. More thunderstorms formed near the center of Larry. Even though the circulation was more organized, the distribution of thunderstorms was asymmetrical. Many of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands south and west of the center of Tropical Storm Larry. Bands in the northern and eastern parts of Larry consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of circulation began to generate upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) on the western side of Larry. The winds on the eastern side of the circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Larry will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few days. Larry will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 27.5˚C. It will move under the southern side of an upper level ridge over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Larry’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The winds in the lower levels will also blow from the east and so there will not be a lot of vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Larry will strengthen during the next few days. Larry could intensify to a hurricane within 36 hours. Tropical Storm Larry could undergo a period of rapid intensification once an inner core with an eye and an eyewall form. Larry could intensify to a major hurricane during the weekend.

Tropical Storm Larry will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high will steer Larry toward the west during the next several days. On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Larry will move farther away from the Cabo Verde islands. Larry could be east of the northern Leeward Islands by the weekend.

Elsewhere, Tropical Depression Ida was dropping locally heavy rain over parts of the U.S. and Tropical Depression Kate was spinning northeast of the Leeward Islands. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Depression Ida was located at latitude 37.3°N and longitude 82.5°W which put it about 75 miles (120 km) west of Bluefield, West Virginia. Ida was moving toward the northeast at 24 m.p.h. (39 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 1000 mb. Flash Flood Watches were in effect for the region from West Virginia and eastern Ohio to southern New England.

At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Depression Kate was located at latitude 25.7°N and longitude 51.7°W which put it about 895 miles (1440 km) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Kate was moving toward the north-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 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.

Tropical Depression Ida Brings Rain and Storms to Southeast U.S.

Tropical Depression Ida brought rain and thunderstorms to the southeast U.S. on Monday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Depression Ida was located at latitude 32.6°N and longitude 90.3°W which put it about 20 miles (30 km) north-northwest of Jackson, Mississippi. Ida was moving toward the north-northeast at 9 m.p.h. (15 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 999 mb.

Former Hurricane Ida weakened to a tropical depression over Mississippi on Monday afternoon. Even though the speed of the wind circulating around Ida decreased, Tropical Depression Ida was still dropping locally heavy rain and generating a few tornadoes over the southeast U.S. Thunderstorms in bands on the eastern side of Ida were dropping locally heavy rain over parts of Mississippi, Alabama, northwest Florida and northwestern Georgia. Flash Flood Watches were in effect for all of those places. Tornadoes were reported in southeastern Mississippi, and southwestern and central Alabama.

Electricity was still out in all of New Orleans. Southerly winds blowing around the eastern side of Tropical Depression Ida’s circulation were still pushing water toward the coast. Those winds were blowing to near tropical storm force in some locations. A weather station at Fort Morgan, Alabama was reporting a sustained wind speed of 38 m.p.h. (61 km/h) and a wind gust of 47 m.p.h. (76 km/h). The water levels had decreased along the coast, but the persistent southerly winds were preventing the water levels from returning to normal. The water levels should continue to decrease when Tropical Depression Ida moves farther away from the coast.

Tropical Depression Ida will move northeast during the next 72 hours. The center of Ida will cross Tennessee on Tuesday. Ida could be over West Virginia on Wednesday and it could reach the east coast of the U.S. on Thursday. Tropical Depression Ida will continue to drop locally heavy rain over the eastern U.S. The circulation around Ida will interact with a cold front moving slowly south toward the Ohio River. The interaction between Ida and the cold front could enhance rainfall over the Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys. Flash Flood Watches are in effect across the region from Tennessee to New Jersey.

Elsewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Julian made a transition to an extratropical cyclone west of the Azores on Monday morning and Tropical Storm Kate developed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Ida was located at latitude 22.7°N and longitude 50.9°W which put it about 805 miles (1295 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Kate was moving toward the north at 10 m.p.h. (16 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 1006 mb.