Color-enhanced infrared GOES satellite view on 21 August at 19:45 EST showing tropical depression (within solid yellow lines) and tropical depressions over the Atlantic and eastern Pacific
Just as we had indicated yesterday, the tropics appear to be shifting to another gear; on 21 August there are two tropical depressions, Nos. 8 and 9, active in the eastern Pacific, while over in the Atlantic the long cell of disturbed weather riding along ‘hurricane alley’ has generated Tropical depression #6 of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, which appears to be strengthening and getting better organized, so the possibility of further cyclonic development is highly likely within the next 12 – 24 hours.
Five-day track forecast for Tropical Depression #6 in the Atlantic. Further development to tropical storm and hurricane strength appear likely over the nexr 12 - 24 hours as the system encounters a favorable environment over central Atlantic.
While this activity is ongoing there are a couple of areas of disturbed weather over in the eastern Pacific and one in the Caribbean, off the northeast coast of Nicaragua, that may warrant monitoring for potential further development. At the same time the ‘tropical wave assembly line’ over equatorial Africa is loaded with large tropical waves generating intense rain and storms as they continue to move toward the eastern Atlantic.
Color-enhanced infrared GOES satellite view of the eastern Atlantic and western equatorial Africa on 21 August at 20:00 EST showing TD #6 and several quite strong and large tropical waves over equatorial Africa, which continue to move westward toward 'hurricane alley'.
The combination of current tropical cyclone activity, the generation of bigger and stronger tropical waves over equatorial Africa that are now moving toward the eastern Atlantic and ‘hurricane alley’, and the continuous evolution of La Nina off the coast of Peru in the eastern Pacific, appears to be an indication of increased activity in the tropics, which always brings the potential for tropical cyclone development over the Atlantic and eastern Pacific off the coasts of Mexico and Central America.
On 21 August 2010 Earth's northern tropics continued to circle the planet with a belt of tropical waves and distrubed weather as shown on this composite full-disk satellite view of Earth western hemisphere.
We all need to pay attention, be prepared and continue practicing mitigation to reduce the potential for damage to our communities. All of these tropical depressions, but especially #6 in the Atlantic, and the various tropical waves that are on the move, warrant close attention and constant monitoring in days to come.
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