Hurricane Earl Stronger....More Storms Possible

Posted: Aug 29, 2010 11:08 PM by Chris Paulsen

HURRICANE EARL STRONGER

AT 11:00 pm AND AN INVESTIGATION BY THE HURRICANE CENTERS PLANE......THE CENTER OF HURRICANE EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 61.1 WEST.
EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH. AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED BY EARLY TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF EARL WILL PASS NEAR OR OVER THE NORTHERNMOST LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...AND NEAR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS BY LATE MONDAY.

OBSERVATIONS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH. WITH HIGHER GUSTS. EARL IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON WIND SCALE. FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST...AND EARL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BY LATE MONDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES. FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS IS 971 MB...28.67 INCHES.

STRONG TROPICAL WAVE

SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM HAVE NOT INCREASED TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED NEARLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA AND THE LESSER ANTILLES. ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION OF THIS SYSTEM HAS CHANGED LITTLE DURING THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT...AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD STILL FORM DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE...80 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES GENERALLY WESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH.