Hurricane Tracking Blog

Late in the evening on Tuesday, June 29, Tropical storm Alex became the first hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Alex is the first Atlantic hurricane in the month of June since 1995. Overnight, Hurricane Alex grew to a powerful Category 2 storm as it neared Mexico’s Gulf coast and south Texas today. While the storm was far from the Gulf oil spill, cleanup vessels were sidelined by its ripple effects, as it whipped up high waves that frustrated oil-spill cleanup efforts and delivering tar balls and globs of crude onto already soiled beaches.

The latest Hurricane Alex update from the National Hurricane Center indicates:

ALEX IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES…110 KM…FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES…335 KM PRIMARILY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. ALEX IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 10 MPH…17 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO later this evening.

LOCATION…24.3N 97.5W
i.e. ABOUT 40 MI…65 KM NNE OF LA PESCA MEXICO
or ABOUT 110 MI…180 KM S OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…100 MPH…155 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 270 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…948 MB…27.99 INCHES

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR… * THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE and also for THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR… * THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR and also for THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO

Tropical Storm Alex has formed in the Caribbean off the coast of Central America, thus making it the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming from a tropical wave, it slowly developed in the Caribbean Sea, moving from a tropical depression to a tropical storm on June 25, 2010.

As at 1 p.m. CDT on June 26, 2010, the National Hurricane Center described Tropical Storm Alex as follows:

LARGE TROPICAL STORM ALEX HEADING A LITTLE FASTER TOWARD BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA…

LOCATION…17.5N 87.2W
ABOUT 75 MI…120 KM E OF BELIZE CITY
ABOUT 100 MI…160 KM SE OF CHETUMAL MEXICO
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…45 MPH…75 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 290 DEGREES AT 9 MPH…15 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1003 MB…29.62 INCHES

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR… THE COAST OF BELIZE AND THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO FROM CHETUMAL TO CANCUN * THE ISLANDS OF ROATAN…GUANAJA…AND UTILA IN HONDURAS

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR… * THE COAST OF HONDURAS FROM LIMON WESTWARD TO THE BORDER OF HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA

Click here for Alex trackers

As at AT 11 AM AST, THE CENTER OF THE POORLY-ORGANIZED TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.9 NORTH, LONGITUDE 63.5 WEST, OR ABOUT 100 MILES (165 KM) EAST-SOUTHEAST OF ST. CROIX, AND ABOUT 200 MILES (320 KM) EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.

ERIKA’S MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH (65 KM/HR), WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IT IS CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH (13 KM/HR), AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 1010 MB - 29.83 INCHES.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES (280 KM) PRIMARILY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER, AND THE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH ERIKA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE LEEWARD ISLANDS TODAY AND APPROACH THE U.S. AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. IT IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LESSER ANTILLES, PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE).

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR DOMINICA, GUADELOUPE, ST. MARTIN, ST. BARTHELEMY, ANTIGUA, BARBUDA, MONTSERRAT, ST. KITTS, NEVIS, ANGUILLA, ST. MAARTEN, SABA AND ST. EUSTATIUS. NEW WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR PUERTO RICO.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 - AS AT 1100 PM AST, THE CENTER OF THE POORLY ORGANIZED TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.1 NORTH, LONGITUDE 62.4 WEST, OR ABOUT 70 MILES (110 KM) WEST-SOUTHWEST OF GUADELOUPE, AND ABOUT 290 MILES (470 KM) EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO.

ERIKA IS CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH (15 KM/HR), AND IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH ERIKA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE LEEWARD ISLANDS EARLY THURSDAY AND APPROACH PUERTO RICO LATE TOMORROW. TROPICAL STORM ERIKA’S MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE CURRENTLY NEAR 40 MPH (65 KM/HR), WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS BUT A GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN THEREAFTER.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES (280 KM) TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1008 MB (29.77 INCHES).

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR DOMINICA, GUADELOUPE, ST. MARTIN, ST. BARTHELEMY, ANTIGUA, BARBUDA, MONTSERRAT, ST. KITTS, NEVIS, ANGUILLA, ST. MAARTEN, SABA AND ST. EUSTATIUS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PUERTO RICO, THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.

INTERESTS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the North Carolina coast from cape lookout northward to Duck … including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area…in this case… Within 24 hours. A tropical storm warning may be required for portions of this area later today.

At 1100 a.m. EDT…1500 UTC…the center of tropical storm Danny was Located near latitude 30.1 north … longitude 75.5 west or about 350 Miles (565 km) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and about 830
Miles (1335 km) south-southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

While Danny has been moving toward the west over the past couple of Hours … a motion toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/hr) is expected to resume soon. A turn toward the north and the north-
Northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later today and tonight. On the forecast track … the center of Danny is expected to pass near the outer banks of North Carolina overnight … approach the coast of southeastern New England late Saturday night … and move near the Canadian Maritimes early Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph…65 km/hr…with higher gusts. Some slight strengthening is possible today … with little change in intensity forecast after that time.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km) mainly to the east of the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).