Tropical Storm HENRI
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TROPICAL DEPRESSION HENRI DISCUSSION NUMBER 12
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT SAT SEP 06 2003
HENRI ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED THIS MORNING AND MOVED INLAND NEAR TAMPA
AROUND 9Z. THE CYCLONE IS CURRENTLY EMBEDDED IN A SMALL AREA OF
RELATIVELY UNIFORM AND RAPID SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW BETWEEN A
DEEP-LAYER ANTICYCLONE OVER CENTRAL CUBA AND THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH
IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS ENHANCED SYNOPTIC GRADIENT
WEAKENS MARKEDLY NORTH OF THE BAHAMAS SO THE CURRENT RAPID INITIAL
MOTION...060/17...SHOULD BEGIN TO SLOW WITHIN THE NEXT 6-12 HOURS.
THE 6Z GFS AND GFDL MODELS CAPTURED THE ACCELERATION OF HENRI.
THESE TWO MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE TRACK OF THE
CYCLONE OVER THE NEXT 72 HOURS AND FORM THE BASIS FOR THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST...WHICH CALLS FOR A SLOWING OF THE MOTION OVER THE NEXT
THREE DAYS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS TO THE NORTH OF HENRI.
BECAUSE THE SHEAR HAS TEMPORARILY LESSENED...HENRI WILL HAVE A BRIEF
OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN SOME ONCE THE CENTER EMERGES INTO THE
ATLANTIC. HOWEVER...AS THE HIGH BUILDS NORTH OF HENRI AND THE LOW
LEVEL SYNOPTIC FLOW REVERSES...THE SHEAR IS AGAIN EXPECTED TO
INCREASE. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT...THE CIRCULATION SHOULD GRADUALLY
ELONGATE AND BECOME LOST WITHIN THE FRONTAL ZONE CURRENTLY NORTH OF
THE TROPICAL CYCLONE. THE LARGE EXTENT OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS SHOWN AT 72 HOURS IS ONLY INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH HENRI.
FORECASTER FRANKLIN
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INITIAL 06/1500Z 28.7N 81.2W 25 KT...INLAND
12HR VT 07/0000Z 29.8N 79.4W 30 KT...OVER WATER
24HR VT 07/1200Z 31.0N 77.5W 35 KT
36HR VT 08/0000Z 31.6N 76.0W 35 KT
48HR VT 08/1200Z 32.0N 75.0W 35 KT
72HR VT 09/1200Z 32.5N 74.0W 35 KT...BECOMING EXTRATROPICAL
96HR VT 10/1200Z 33.5N 71.0W 35 KT...EXTRATROPICAL
120HR VT 11/1200Z...ABSORBED WITHIN FRONTAL ZONE
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