Day 179: (Soon to be) Hurricane Alex

Posted by pmarsh on 28 Jun 2010 | 2 comments

Tonight I thought I’d share a couple more images from a new software program that is scheduled to go on sale later this summer, GREarth (authored by the creator of the Gibson Ridge radar viewers). The image above (below) is an infrared (water vapor) satellite image of Tropical Storm Alex with National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast wind radii, track and intensity, and the Hurricane Hunter’s (which is officially known as the Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) current reconnaissance flight overlaid.

The forecast track and intensity are indicated by the circles containing the labels T (Tropical Storm) and 1 (Category 1 Hurricane). Circumscribing the forecast track and intensity labels are a funny looking circle-like objects. These “objects” are the maximum wind radii forecast by the NHC at each forecast break point. The cyan X-like object is the current flight path of the latest Hurricane Hunters reconnaissance flight. The “L” currently marks the lowest minimum pressure recorded by the Hurricane Hunters and the red arrow is the latest dropsonde information. (Although not shown in these images, the current minimum pressure is 985 mb and the strongest surface wind speed is 62 kts to the southwest of the center.)

A couple of things I’ve noticed in the last few hours is the convection redeveloping around the center of Tropical Storm Alex. This should help to strengthen Alex during the overnight. The official intensity is currently 65 mph (55 kts), so any more strengthening would bring Alex dangerously close to the hurricane threshold. In fact, the 985 mb surface pressure is more indicative of a hurricane than some previous hurricanes. I expect the wind field to catch up to the surface pressure field overnight and expect Alex to become a hurricane in the within the next 24 hours.

I should also point out that the NHC has issued a Hurricane Warning for portions of the far southern Texas coast and northern Mexico coast, including the city of Brownsville, TX. If you live in southern Texas it is time to enact your hurricane preparedness plan. If you live elsewhere along the Texas coast and/or western Louisiana, you should continue to monitor the situation closely and be prepared to activate your hurricane preparedness plan very quickly, should conditions warrant.