TRACKING THE TROPICS


TROPICS WATCH


Gulf
Atlantic

For the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

East-Central Subtropical Atlantic: An area of low pressure located about 900 miles northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands has been producing a small but persistent area of showers and thunderstorms to the east of its center since this morning. However, the low is forecast to move southwestward at 10 to 15 mph into an area of stronger upper-level winds tonight and tomorrow, and additional development is not expected.

No additional Special Tropical Weather Outlooks are scheduled for this system unless conditions warrant. Regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlooks will resume on May 15, 2024, and Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as necessary during the remainder of the off-season. * Formation chance through 48 hours, low, 10 percent. * Formation chance through 7 days, low, 10 percent.

Posted 1 week, 1 day ago by NHC Forecaster Forecaster Berg/Brown

Monsoon Trough/ITCZ

The monsoon trough passes through the coastal plains of Sierra Leone near 07N12W, to 05N16W. The ITCZ continues from 05N16W, to 04N23W, 04N30W, 03N40W, to 03N51W at the coast of Brazil. Precipitation: disorganized widely scattered moderate to isolated strong is from 10N southward from 60W eastward.

Gulf Of Mexico

An upper level trough is generating cyclonic wind flow between 60W and 90W. Precipitation: broken to overcast multilayered clouds are from 26N northward. Inland precipitation, that covers the areas that are between east Texas and Mississippi, is related to some inland outflow boundaries. It is possible that some of that precipitation may be reaching the coastal waters that are between Texas and Mississippi.

A NW-to-SE oriented interior Mexico surface trough extends from the Texas Big Bend, to 21N100W, to northern Guatemala.

Mostly moderate to some fresh E to SE winds are in the eastern half of the area. Fresh and moderate SE winds are in the offshore waters of the western half of the Gulf of Mexico. Gentle winds are in the coastal waters from Mexico to south Texas. Span the entire area. Moderate to rough seas are from 22N to 24N between 90W and 92W. Slight seas are from 88W eastward, and from 26N northward between 88W and 90W. Moderate seas are in the rest of the Gulf of Mexico. Slight to moderate seas are in the eastern half of the area. Moderate seas, ranging from 6 feet to 7 feet, are in the offshore waters of the Deep South of Texas and NE Mexico. Moderate seas that range from 4 feet to 5 feet are in the rest of the western half of the Gulf of Mexico.

The pressure gradient between high pressure centered over Florida and lower pressures in the western Gulf will support moderate to fresh winds over the majority of the Gulf of Mexico well into next week. Fresh to locally strong winds will pulse at night for the next few days near the northern and western Yucatan Peninsula due to a thermal trough.

Caribbean Sea

A flat and weak surface pressure gradient is in the Caribbean Sea. A 1019 mb Atlantic Ocean high pressure center is near 32N71W.

An upper level trough is generating cyclonic wind flow between 60W and 90W. One surface trough is along 64W/67W from Venezuela to 22N in the Atlantic Ocean. A second surface trough is along 18N79W 12N74W. Precipitation: scattered strong is between the two surface troughs, from 14N to Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Other isolated moderate is from 80W eastward. Please, refer to local weather bureau advisories for information regarding any heavy rainfall or related flooding. The two surface troughs have disrupted the typical trade wind regime that normally is in the Caribbean Sea.

Moderate to fresh SE winds are to the east of the 64W/67W surface trough. Mostly moderate to some fresh winds are between the 64W/67W surface trough and 80W. Mostly moderate to some fresh NE to E winds are from Honduras northward from 80W westward. Moderate or slower winds are in the remainder of the Caribbean Sea. Moderate seas are in the eastern one-third of the area. Slight to moderate seas are in the central one-third of the area. Slight seas are in the remainder of the Caribbean Sea.

The 24-hour rainfall totals in inches, for the period that ended at 03/1200 UTC, are: 0.69 in Kingston in Jamaica; 0.46 in Curacao; 0.18 in San Juan in Puerto Rico; 0.16 in Freeport in the Bahamas; and 0.14 in Guadeloupe. This information is from the Pan American Temperature and Precipitation Tables/MIATPTPAN.

High pressure over the western Atlantic is supporting moderate to fresh trade winds over the eastern Caribbean. These winds will gradually subside into the weekend as the related pressure gradient relaxes. Moderate to fresh northeast winds are expected in the northwestern Caribbean into tonight, and in the Windward Passage nightly through the weekend. Mainly moderate winds are expected over the remainder of the area through early next week. Upper-level divergence east of an upper-level trough that extends from the western Atlantic south to near 15N between 70W and 80W is supporting numerous showers and thunderstorms north of 15N between 69W and 75W. This activity is moving eastward, and is producing gusty winds and frequent lightning.

Atlantic Ocean

An upper level trough is generating cyclonic wind flow between 60W and 90W. Comparatively drier air in subsidence is from 500 nm to 600 nm to the west and to the northwest of 28N62W 22N73W 19N76W 13N71W. Precipitation: broken to overcast multilayered clouds, and widely scattered moderate to isolated strong, are between the surface trough/remnant cold front of the next paragraph and the SE Bahamas. Persistent heavy rainfall for the rest of the week is possible in this part of the Atlantic Ocean. The 24-hour rainfall totals in inches, for the period that ended at 03/1200 UTC, are: 0.16 in Freeport in the Bahamas. This information is from the Pan American Temperature and Precipitation Tables/MIATPTPAN.

One surface trough is along 31N58W 24N65W. A 1019 mb Atlantic Ocean high pressure center is near 32N71W. Broad surface anticyclonic wind flow is to the west and northwest of the 31N58W 24N65W surface trough. A second surface trough, that is the remnant of an earlier cold front, is along 31N29W 26N40W 22N51W. Precipitation: rainshowers are possible within 120 nm on either side of the trough. A 1018 mb high pressure center is near 28N49W, to the northwest of the surface trough. Mostly moderate seas, with some smaller areas of moderate to rough seas, are to the north of the second surface trough.

Moderate seas cover nearly the remainder of the entire area of the Atlantic Ocean. One exception is for slight seas from 73W westward, and from 27N northward from 31N58W 24N65W trough northwestward. A second exception is for moderate to rough seas from the ITCZ to 12N between 36W and 55W. Mostly moderate to some fresh NE winds are from 31N14W 25N31W 17N45W 12N57W southward. Mostly moderate to some fresh E to SE winds are within 660 nm to the north of the 31N14W-to-12N57W line. Mostly moderate to some fresh NE winds are from 28N southward between the 31N58W 24N65W surface trough and 80W. Moderate or slower winds are in the remainder of the Atlantic Ocean.

A trough extends from near 31N59W to 24N66W, while high pressure is over the remainder of the area. Meanwhile, the northern portion of a Caribbean trough is along 66W south of 24N. Mostly moderate easterly winds are on either side of the trough south of 24N. An upper trough extends from 31N64W southwestward to central Cuba. Numerous showers and thunderstorms are east of this trough south of 24N. Some of this activity may be accompanied by strong gusty winds and frequent lightning. The troughs will shift eastward through the weekend as a cold front drops southward over the eastern and central waters. The front will shift east of the area Mon. High pressure will then settle over the area through Tue night.

Posted 48 minutes ago by NHC Forecaster Mt/Ja