Tropical Storm Hermine (10L) - September 7th, 2010

Track of TS 10L

At 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Hermine (10L) was located near latitude 31.1 North, longitude 99.4 West.

In the main image, a small portion of convection that is part of TD 10L can be observed along the right edge. The full system can be seen in the animated image.

Hermine is moving toward the north-northwest near 20 mph (33 km/hr). A turn to the north and then north-northeast is expected over the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph (55 km/hr) with higher gusts. Continued weakening is forecast as Hermine moves farther inland over central Texas. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1003 mb (29.62 inches).

Hazards affecting land include storm surges, rainfall and tornados. Water levels along the Texas coast will gradually recede but remain above normal for the next day or so.

Hermine is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches, from the middle Texas coast northward through central Texas and over central and eastern Oklahoma.

These rains are expected to spread northeastward across southeastern Kansas and Missouri during the next few days. The heavy rainfall could cause life-threatening flash floods. Isolated tornadoes are also possible over portions of central and southeast Texas this evening.

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Pakistan - September 7th, 2010

Fresh flood warnings have been issued in Mehar village, in the Dadu district of Sindh province, Pakistan. The country has been devastated by intense flooding over the last month.

This thumbnail image focuses on a section of the Indus River, appearing tan with sediments and wider than usual due to the floods; the entire stretch of the river in Pakistan can be viewed in the full image.

Over 800,000 Pakistanis are still trapped by floodwaters. More than 17 million people have been affected by the floods, and eight millions of them require immediate life-saving aid.

Pakistani authorities reported that the floods have destroyed or damaged 1.2 million homes. More than one million people are living in tents and at least five million others are in need of emergency shelter.

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Italy - August 24th, 2010

This FAPAR image focuses on the country of Italy, showing its vegetation index. The areas with the highest index, brownish red in color, are located in the north of the country, along the lower flanks of the Apennine Range.

Much of the rest of the country is green, indicating good values of photosynthetic activity. The areas of Italy with the lowest index of vegetation, whitish yellow, are present in the south of the country, in the Apulia region (known as Puglia in Italian).

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Brazil - September 5th, 2010

Smoke from fires burning in Bolivia continues to blow over neighboring countries. Here, parts of Brazil, mainly in the state of Mato Grosso, are veiled by clouds of smoke.

A state of emergency was declared in Bolivia due to these quickly spreading forest fires. Over 25,000 fires have been registered across the country, hitting mostly Bolivia’s Amazon and eastern regions.

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Tropical Storm Hermine (10L) - September 6th, 2010

Enhanced image

Track of TS 10L

A low pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico has organized into a tropical storm (click here for previous article). As of 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Hermine was located near latitude 24.8 North, longitude 97.1 West.

Hermine is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/hr), and this general motion is expected to continue for the next day or two.

On the forecast track, the center will make landfall on the coast of northeastern Mexico in the warning area Monday night, and move inland over southern Texas on Tuesday and into central Texas on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph (100 km/hr) with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening is possible, and Hermine could approach hurricane strength prior to landfall. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center. The latest reported minimum central pressure is 991 mb (29.26 inches).

Tropical storm conditions are occurring in the warning area and are expected to continue overnight. A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above ground level along the immediate coast near and to the north of where the center makes landfall.

Hermine is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over northeastern Mexico and south Texas with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. These rains could cause life-threatening flash flood and mudslides. Isolated tornadoes are also possible along the lower and middle Texas coast Monday and Tuesday.

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Tropical Storm Malou (10W) - September 6th, 2010

Track of TS 10W

Tropical Storm Malou (10W), located approximately 65 nm northwest of Sasebo, Japan, has tracked northeastward at 10 knots over the past six hours.

The main image shows convection associated with Malou to the west of Japan. The entire system can be observed in the animated image.

TS 10W has maximum sustained winds with speeds of 40 knots, and higher gusts of up to 50 knots. Maximum significant wave height is 16 feet.

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Low Pressure Area by Mexico - September 5th, 2010

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Satellite images and radar imagery from Mexico indicate that the broad area of low pressure located over the extreme southwestern Gulf of Mexico has not become better organized over the past few hours.

However, environmental conditions appear favorable for development and a tropical depression could form during the next day or so before the system moves inland. There is a high chance (60 percent) of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours as it moves northwestward at 5 to 10 mph.

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Remnant Low of Tropical Storm Gaston (09L) - September 5th, 2010

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Shower and thunderstorm activity has become better organized in association with the remnant low of Tropical Storm Gaston (09L), located about 700 miles east of the Leeward Islands.

Environmental conditions appear conducive for tropical cyclone formation, and the low could redevelop into a tropical depression at any time today as it moves westward near 15 mph.

There is a high chance (80 percent) of this system becoming a tropical cyclone again during the next 48 hours.

Interests in the leeward islands should monitor the progress of this system.  Warnings will likely be required for some of these islands if advisories are re-initiated.

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Tropical Storm Earl (07L) - September 5th, 2010

Track of TS 07L

TS 07L by N. American Coast

Some convection associated with Tropical Storm Earl (07L) can be observed here, northeast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The main image focuses on one large area of convection to the east. The second shows the convection further west, north of Nova Scotia. In the full image, North American Atlantic coastal areas such as Nova Scotia, Canada, and from Massachusetts to North Carolina, USA, can be observed.

On September 2nd, Earl brushed past Cape Hatteras, with conditions being slightly less severe than expected, but still bringing very heavy rain, winds gusting up to hurricane force, and very large waves. Due to strict design requirements of buildings along Cape Hatteras, damage was minimal, with no structural damage reported along the North Carolina coast.

By the following day, the storm had weakened even further to a Category 1 and changed direction to a projected path along the New England coastline. Areas such as the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Southern New York have experienced only minimal impact.

It weakened further to a tropical storm on the 3rd as it passed to the south-southeast of the New England coastline. Again, conditions were much less severe than expected near Cape Cod, with only minor flooding, beach erosion, and winds gusting up to tropical storm force.

The Canadian Maritime Provinces were not so lucky, however, as Earl made landfall twice in Nova Scotia and once in Prince Edward Island (PEI) at hurricane intensity (from strong TS to low Category 1 winds). The city of Halifax and regions of the province, as well as eastern PEI, experienced many uprooted trees and power outages reminiscent of Hurricane Juan in 2003. One death was directly attributable to the storm. Throughout the Caribbean, Hurricane Earl wrought up to $150 million in damage.

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