Tropical Storm CHARLEY

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TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY DISCUSSION NUMBER   7
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 PM EDT TUE AUG 10 2004
 
BACK NEAR 20Z...THE AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER FOUND A TIGHT
CENTER WITH CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 999 MB AND MAXIMUM FLIGHT LEVEL
WINDS OF 72 KT JUST TO THE NORTHEAST.  SINCE THEN...A PERSISTENT
CONVECTIVE BURST HAS FORMED OVER OR JUST EAST TO THE CENTER.  THE
INITIAL INTENSITY IS 55 KT BASED ON THE AIRCRAFT DATA AND A 55 KT
INTENSITY ESTIMATE FROM TAFB.  IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FAST FORWARD
MOTION IS LIKELY ENHANCING THE WINDS IN THE NORTHEASTERN SEMICIRCLE
BEYOND THAT WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE SUPPORTED BY A 999 MB STORM.

THE INITIAL MOTION IS 295/22...AND THE SHORT-TERM MOTION MAY BE JUST
A LITTLE TO THE LEFT OF THAT.  CHARLEY IS ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF
THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE...WHILE TROPICAL STORM BONNIE IS OVER THE
CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO AND A DEVELOPING DEEP-LAYER TROUGH OVER THE
CENTRAL UNITED STATES.  THIS COMBINATION SHOULD MOVE CHARLEY
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD FOR 24 HR OR SO...FOLLOWED BY RECURVATURE TO THE
NORTH AND NORTHEAST.  THE BIG QUESTION IS WHERE WILL THIS HAPPEN. 
THE VARIOUS MODELS ARE NOW TIGHTLY CLUSTERED FOR THE FIRST 72 HR...
CALLING FOR CHARLEY TO TRACK ACROSS JAMAICA...THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...
AND WESTERN CUBA ON ITS WAY TO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. 
THE CLUSTERING HAS BECOME EVEN TIGHTER THAN 6 HR AGO SINCE THE GFS
AND GFDL HAVE SHIFTED WESTWARD...WHILE THE NOGAPS HAS SHIFTED
EASTWARD.  THE FIRST 72 HR OF THE FORECAST TRACK IS NUDGE JUST A
LITTLE TO THE EAST OF THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE.  AFTER 72 HR...WHILE
THERE IS GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE DIRECTION...THERE IS SIGNIFICANT
DISAGREEMENT ON THE SPEED BETWEEN THE FASTEST NOGAPS...THE
INTERMEDIATE GFDL...GFS...AND NHC98...AND THE SLOWER BAMS.  THE
FORECAST WILL COMPROMISE ON THE SPEED...CALLING FOR CHARLEY TO MOVE
INLAND ALONG THE WESTERN GULF COAST OF FLORIDA AND ACCELERATE TO
THE NORTHEAST.  THE 72-120 HR PART OF THE FORECAST IS CONSIDERABLY
FASTER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST BASED ON THE STRENGTH OF THE
TROUGH SHOWN IN THE MODELS.

CHARLEY IS IN A GENERALLY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT...ALTHOUGH THERE ARE
SOME SIGNS THAT UPPER-LEVEL WESTERLY FLOW FROM A CYCLONE WEST OF
THE STORM IS UNDERCUTTING THE OTHERWISE IMPRESSIVE OUTLOW AT THIS
TIME.  OTHER THAN THAT...THERE IS NO OBVIOUS REASON OTHER THAN
HITTING LAND THAT CHARLEY SHOULD NOT STRENGTHEN.  THE GFDL AND
SHIPS BOTH CALL FOR 95-100 KT WINDS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF
MEXICO.  THE INTENSITY FORECAST WILL NOT GO QUITE THAT HIGH JUST
YET...BUT WILL CALL FOR CHARLEY TO BECOME A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE
OVER THE GULF.  AFTER RECURVATURE...PASSAGE OVER LAND AND THE START
OF EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION SHOULD CAUSE STEADY WEAKENING.
 
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
 
INITIAL      11/0300Z 16.0N  72.8W    55 KT
 12HR VT     11/1200Z 17.1N  75.7W    60 KT
 24HR VT     12/0000Z 18.8N  78.8W    65 KT
 36HR VT     12/1200Z 20.7N  81.1W    70 KT
 48HR VT     13/0000Z 22.9N  82.3W    75 KT...INLAND
 72HR VT     14/0000Z 26.5N  83.0W    85 KT...OVER WATER
 96HR VT     15/0000Z 31.0N  82.0W    65 KT...INLAND
120HR VT     16/0000Z 37.5N  77.0W    35 KT...INLAND
 
 
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