000
AXPZ20 KNHC 262200
TWDEP 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2205 UTC THU AUG 26 2010

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM 
THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W.

BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
2100 UTC.

...SPECIAL FEATURES...

AT 26/2100 UTC...HURRICANE FRANK IS CENTERED NEAR 18.1N 110.3W 
MOVING WNW OR 290 DEG AT 9 KT. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL 
PRESSURE IS 978 MB. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 80 KT WITH GUSTS 
TO 100 KT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 75 NM 
FROM THE CENTER. MAX SEAS ARE ESTIMATED AT 27 FT...WITH 12 FT 
SEAS UP TO 270 NM SE OF THE CENTER. NUMEROUS MODERATE TO STRONG 
TSTMS WITHIN 90 NM OF CENTER. SEE LATEST NHC FORECAST/ADVISORY 
UNDER AWIPS/WMO HEADERS MIATCMEP4/ WTPZ24 KNHC FOR MORE DETAILS.

...TROPICAL WAVES...

TROPICAL WAVE OVER CENTRAL AMERICA ALONG 85W N OF 08N IS MOVING 
W AT 15 KT. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS 
OCCURRING AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WAVE N OF 8N ALONG THE 
COAST OF COSTA RICA AND PANAMA BETWEEN 82W AND 86W. 

...ITCZ...

THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AXIS IS ANALYZED FROM 07N84W 
TO 07N105W TO 13N115W TO 12N125W TO 09N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE 
CONVECTION WITHIN 90 NM EITHER SIDE OF AXIS E OF 88W.

...DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...A RIDGE EXTENDS WSW FROM NW MEXICO THRU AN ANTICYCLONE 
CENTERED OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA NEAR 27N113W TO BEYOND 23N140W. 
UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE ASSOCIATED WITH FEATURE IS ENHANCING 
DIURNAL CONVECTION ALONG THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA. HURRICANE 
FRANK IS EMBEDDED IN WEAK EASTERLY FLOW SOUTH OF THE RIDGE AXIS. 
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS MODERATE SUBSIDENCE AND DRIER AIR OVER 
A LARGE PORTION OF THE AREA N OF THE ITCZ N OF 16N W OF 120W.

SURFACE...SUBTROPICAL RIDGE FROM 30N140W TO NEAR 20N125W. SCAT 
DATA SHOWS S 10-15 KT WINDS OVER MOST OF REGION S OF 10N BETWEEN 
110W AND 130W. W OF 130W WINDS GRADUALLY BECOME SE IN TRANSITION 
TO TRADE WIND REGIME. E OF 110W SLY WINDS S OF 6N...WITH W WINDS 
EVIDENT N OF 6N IN RESPONSE TO WEAK MONSOON TROUGH THAT EXTENDS 
W FROM CENTRAL PANAMA. FRANK AND ITS ASSOCIATED WEATHER EFFECTS 
DOMINATE SYNOPTIC ENVIRONMENT FROM 12N TO 20N BETWEEN 107W AND 
114W. IR SAT IMAGERY SHOWS LITTLE OR NO TSTM ACTIVITY IN ITCZ W 
OF 115W. PRES GRADIENT IS FCST TO BUILD OVER NW PART FRI NIGHT 
AND SAT...WITH N WINDS INCREASING TO 20 KT N OF 28N BETWEEN 120W 
AND 133W.

MARINE...OUTSIDE OF SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANK..ALTIMETRY SHOWS 
LONG PERIOD S-SW SWELLS PEAKING AT 8-9 FT S OF THE HURRICANE. 
SEAS IN THIS AREA ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE OVER THE 
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...LACKING A SURGE IN THE CROSS-EQUATORIAL 
SWELLS AT LEAST UNTIL TUE. THE STRONGER WINDS IN N CENTRAL PART 
OF AREA WILL BUILD SEAS TO AROUND 9 FT BY FRI NIGHT.

$$
MUNDELL