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The hurricane season has suddenly shifted into high gear with Ida battering Louisiana while an additional five systems were in some form of development.
Among them is a system taking shape off the west Coast of Africa with conditions conducive for development, said the National Hurricane Center in a 2:00 a.m. Monday forecast
According to N.H.C., a tropical wave is expected to emerge off the west coast of Africa later today. Environmental conditions appear conducive for the development of a low pressure area once the wave moves offshore, and a tropical depression is likely to form by the middle or latter part of the week while the system moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph over the eastern tropical Atlantic.
Formation chance through the next 48 hours was 60 percent, and 80 percent through the next five days.
Tropical Depression Ten Sees Little Change in Intensity
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Tropical Depression Ten, located near latitude 20.8 North, longitude 50.6 West, was moving toward the north near 8 mph. A general northward motion is forecast to continue through Monday followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest by Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next couple of days. Slow strengthening is forecast to begin in the latter part of this week.
Julian Becomes Post-Tropical Cyclone
At 3:00 a.m. today, the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Julian was located near latitude 38.1 North, longitude 41.9 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the northeast near 26 mph (43 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue through Monday, followed by a turn to the north, then northeast Monday night into Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected through tonight.
Ida Now Tropical Storm
According to N.H.C., maximum sustained winds of Ida have decreased near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts (tropical storm status). Additional rapid weakening is forecast during the next day or so, and Ida is expected to become a tropical depression by this evening.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km), mainly southeast of the center. A sustained wind of 32 mph (51 km/h) and a gust to 52 mph (84 km/h) were recently observed at the airport in McComb, Mississippi. Along the Gulf coast, a Weatherflow station in Gulfport, Mississippi, recently measured a sustained wind of 46 mph (74 km/h) and a gust to 66 mph (106 km/h).
Broad Low Pressure in Southern Caribbean Sea
A broad area of low pressure is expected to form in the southern Caribbean Sea over the next several days, stated N.H.C. at 2:00 a.m. today. Environmental conditions appear to be favorable for some slow development by the end of the week, as long as the system remains over water.
This system is expected to move gradually west-northwestward or northwestward at 5 to 10 mph over the western Caribbean Sea close to the east coast of Central America.
