Tropical Cyclone Activity Report – Atlantic Ocean / Caribbean Sea / Gulf of Mexico

CURRENT TROPICAL CYCLONES: 

Tropical Cyclone 27L (Epsilon)…is located 285 miles east-southeast of Bermuda

  Atlantic Ocean:   Tropical Cyclone 27L (Epsilon) EPSILON MAKES A WOBBLY TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST Here’s what the computer models are showing According the NHC Advisory 13A…Epsilon has been wobbling during the past few hours, but its longer-term motion is now toward the northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h). This northwestward motion is expected to continue today. The hurricane is forecast to turn toward the north-northwest late today and toward the north on Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Epsilon is forecast to make its closest approach to Bermuda later this evening. Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher gusts. Epsilon is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Small fluctuations in intensity are possible through this morning, but a weakening trend is expected to begin later today and continue into the weekend. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 345 miles (555 km) mainly to the north of the center. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND  WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected on Bermuda beginning later today and continuing intermittently through late Thursday. SURF: Large swells generated by Epsilon are affecting Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Leeward Islands, and are expected to reach portions of the east coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean Caribbean:  A trough of low pressure located over the western Caribbean Sea is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Development of this system is unlikely to occur during the next few days as it passes near western or central Cuba, and moves over the Straits of Florida. By late weekend or early next week, however, some slow development of this system is possible while it moves generally northeastward near the central Bahamas. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of Cuba, South Florida, and the Bahamas through early next week. * Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent * Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent WSI satellite image of the Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico:  Latest satellite image of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico