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Hurricane BILL


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HURRICANE BILL DISCUSSION NUMBER  26
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL032009
500 PM AST FRI AUG 21 2009
 
AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT REACHED BILL THIS
AFTERNOON AND FOUND THAT THE CENTRAL PRESSURE HAS REMAINED AROUND
954 MB...BUT THE WINDS HAVE DECREASED AND INITIAL INTENSITY IS NOW
90 KT. THE PLANE REPORTED A SMALL EYE OF 14 N MI DIAMETER.
GIVEN THE CONCENTRIC RING STRUCTURE OBSERVED ON MICROWAVE AND THE
DOUBLE WIND MAXIMA PROVIDED BY THE PLANE...IT IS LIKELY THAT THE
HURRICANE IS GOING THROUGH AN EYEWALL REPLACEMENT AND THE REASON
FOR THE CURRENT WEAKENING. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BILL TO
REGAIN SOME STRENGTH DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS WHILE THE SHEAR
IS LOW AND BEFORE THE HURRICANE REACHES COOLER WATERS.
THEREAFTER...A STEADY WEAKENING IS INDICATED AND BY 72 HOURS...BILL
SHOULD ALREADY BE AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE INTERACTING WITH THE
HIGH LATITUDE WESTERLIES.
 
BILL IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OR 340 DEGREES AT 17
KNOTS. THE HURRICANE SHOULD GRADUALLY TURN MORE TO THE NORTH AROUND
THE BERMUDA-AZORES HIGH TONIGHT AND SATURDAY AND SHOULD BE FORCED TO
RECURVE AS A LARGE MID-LATITUDE TROUGH MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS THE
EASTERN UNITED STATES.  THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY CHANGE IN TRACK
GUIDANCE WHICH IN FACT CONTINUES TO BE TIGHTLY PACKED...MAINTAINING
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE TRACK FORECAST.
 
LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THIS HURRICANE WILL AFFECT A LARGE PORTION
OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC COASTAL AREA DURING THE NEXT FEW
DAYS.  THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY CAUSE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SURF AND
LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS.  PLEASE CONSULT STATEMENTS ISSUED BY
YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE AND METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES FOR MORE
DETAILS.
 
AT THIS TIME...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE NOT FORECAST TO REACH
NEW ENGLAND.  HOWEVER...A SLIGHT SHIFT OF THE FORECAST TRACK TO THE
LEFT WOULD REQUIRE A TROPICAL STORM WATCH OR WARNING TONIGHT.  THE
WIND SPEED PROBABILITY PRODUCT INDICATES THAT THERE IS ROUGHLY A 25
PERCENT CHANCE OF THESE WINDS REACHING EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW
ENGLAND.
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
 
INITIAL      21/2100Z 29.4N  66.9W    90 KT
 12HR VT     22/0600Z 31.7N  68.0W   100 KT
 24HR VT     22/1800Z 35.1N  68.4W   100 KT
 36HR VT     23/0600Z 39.0N  67.2W    85 KT
 48HR VT     23/1800Z 43.0N  64.0W    75 KT
 72HR VT     24/1800Z 49.5N  47.0W    50 KT...EXTRATROPICAL
 96HR VT     25/1800Z 54.5N  20.0W    45 KT...EXTRATROPICAL
120HR VT     26/1800Z 60.0N   6.0W    35 KT...EXTRATROPICAL
 
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
 
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