Tropical Storm Should Dissipate, But For Now Track Worth Watching
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Could the last named storm of 2020 be the one that impacts South Florida? It’s much too soon to know — and the initial forecast has it dissipating next week — but the very early path for Wilfred certainly is one that South Florida should keep an eye on. Wilfred formed earlier Friday. It uses the last storm name on the books for 2020. The next storm will use the Greek alphabet, starting with Alpha.
Here is the latest from the National Hurricane Center:
Tropical Storm Wilfred Discussion Number 1 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL232020 1100 AM AST Fri Sep 18 2020 Satellite images indicate that the broad area of low pressure over the eastern Atlantic has become better-defined this morning. In addition, scatterometer data also show a closed circulation, albeit with some rain contamination causing some noise near the center. The initial wind speed is set to 35 kt, in accordance with scatterometer data from last night (this morning's data missed the eastern side of the storm). Thus Wilfred has formed, continuing the record-setting pace of the 2020 hurricane season since it is the earliest 21st named storm on record, about 3 weeks earlier than Vince of 2005. Further intensification is possible during the next day or two before a large upper-level trough is forecast to drop into the path of the storm and stay there for at least a few days. That should promote weakening due to a substantial increase in shear, and most of the global models show this tropical cyclone opening up into a trough by day 5. The official forecast follows this scenario, and the NHC intensity forecast is a blend of the consensus and corrected-consensus aids. Wilfred is moving west-northwestward at about 15 kt. The storm is forecast to continue this motion for the next several days, owing to steering from the low- to middle-level subtropical ridge. The guidance is in fair agreement, and the official forecast is near or west of the consensus at all times, leaning in the direction of the HCCA corrected-consensus. I should mention that if Wilfred intensifies more than expected, it would probably move a bit right of the forecast track for a while due to the expected southwesterly flow at higher levels, before eventually turning back west-northwestward. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 18/1500Z 11.9N 32.4W 35 KT 40 MPH 12H 19/0000Z 12.6N 34.6W 40 KT 45 MPH 24H 19/1200Z 13.5N 37.5W 40 KT 45 MPH 36H 20/0000Z 14.5N 40.2W 40 KT 45 MPH 48H 20/1200Z 15.6N 42.8W 35 KT 40 MPH 60H 21/0000Z 16.7N 45.5W 30 KT 35 MPH 72H 21/1200Z 17.3N 47.5W 30 KT 35 MPH 96H 22/1200Z 18.0N 50.0W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW 120H 23/1200Z...DISSIPATED
This is the general five day tropical outlook:
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Teddy, located over the central tropical Atlantic, and on Tropical Depression Twenty-Two, located over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. 1. Showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure located a few hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands are becoming better organized. Earlier satellite-derived wind data indicated that this system does not yet have a well-defined center, but it is producing winds near tropical-storm-force to its east. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for additional development during the next day or two and a tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form before the end of the week. This system is forecast move west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph through the weekend. For more information on this system, please see High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, * Formation chance through 48 hours...high...70 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...high...70 percent. 2. A small low pressure system located just west of the coast of Portugal is embedded within a larger non-tropical low. Although showers and thunderstorms associated with the smaller low are showing signs of organization, the system will soon move inland over Portugal and further tropical or subtropical development is unlikely. The low is producing gale-force winds, and will likely bring gusty winds and brief periods of heavy rain to portions of western Portugal today and tonight. For more information about potential hazards in Portugal, please see products issued by the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA). For more information about marine hazards associated with this system, see High Seas Forecasts issued by Meteo France. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...low...20 percent. 3. Post-tropical cyclone Paulette is located several hundred miles north-northwest of the Azores. The cyclone is forecast to move quickly southward for the next few days and then stall over marginally warm waters a few hundred miles south or south-southwest of the Azores by the end of the weekend. The cyclone could subsequently redevelop tropical characteristics late this weekend or early next week while it moves little. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...low...30 percent. 4. Another tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa by early Saturday. Some gradual development of the system will be possible thereafter while it moves generally west-northwestward over the far eastern Atlantic. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...low...20 percent. Public Advisories on Tropical Depression Twenty-Two are issued under WMO header WTNT32 KNHC and under AWIPS header MIATCPAT2. Forecast/Advisories on Tropical Depression Twenty-Two are issued under WMO header WTNT22 KNHC and under AWIPS header MIATCMAT2. Products issued by the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) are available on the web at https://www.ipma.pt. High Seas Forecasts issued by Meteo France can be found under WMO header FQNT50 LFPW and available on the web at www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-marine/bulletin/grandlarge/ metarea2 High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service can be found under AWIPS header NFDHSFAT1, WMO header FZNT01 KWBC, and online at ocean.weather.gov/shtml/NFDHSFAT1.php Forecaster Latto
