"Talking the Tropics With Mike": Caribbean wave trying to organize - Aug. 5th

E. Atlantic wave remains weak

Aug. 5, 2017 — There remain two areas of interest/concern:

(1) SW Gulf of Mexico & Bay of Campeche - gradual tropical development possible through the weekend/early next week.  This can be a "hot bed' this time of year & any development would primarily impact Mexico &/or far South Texas.  The tropical wave - 90L - currently over the Caribbean is moving steadily west/northwest showing some signs at attempted organization as the shear gradually lessen the more west the wave goes.  The European model continues to be the strongest taking a hurricane into Mexico well south of Brownsville, Texas while the GFS model holds off development a little longer longer resulting in a somewhat weaker system but hitting about the same area.  The UKMET model shows little or no development keeping the low pressure farther south & therefore more over the land mass of Mexico & Central America.  It would appear the window for greatest concern for a full fledged tropical cyclone hit south of Texas would be Tue./Wed. (if the storm develops).

(2) Eastern & Central Atlantic where an active tropical wave ('99-L') has a good chance to develop into a tropical cyclone but is showing no signs of organization for the moment.  The GFS model has been the most emphatic on this wave becoming a powerful hurricane & making a beeline west/northwest underneath the strong Bermuda high over the Central/Eastern Atlantic though has backed off on recent model runs (that's why one should never get too wrapped up in individual model cycles).  The European model eventually dissipates a weak tropical cyclone... the UKMET model is generally somewhere inbetween.  It's most likely the a faster/stronger developing system would end up farther north (poleward) while a weaker system would go farther west largely steered by the low level trade winds.  For the moment.... I favor a weaker system that ends up farther west - at least initially.  The problem could be in the longer term when conditions might become more favoarable for stronger development (late next week/next weekend - ish).

Another midsummer cold front is diving deep into the South, but this one will stall earlier than last week's front.

'90L':

Imagery below courtesy CIMMS continues shows the persistent stream of African Saharan dust (orange & red) breaking up a little but reorganizing off the NW coast of Africa:

Water vapor imagery shows moisure returning to Florida....

0

Surface analysis centered on the tropical Atlantic shows the strong Bermuda high remains anchored over the Central Atlantic...

1

Surface analysis of the Gulf:

Caribbean:

Wind shear analysis (red is stronger shear)...

The W. Pacific......  the broad eye of "Noru" will make a hit on Southern & Central Japan over the weekend perhaps as a Cat. 1 or 2 typhoon (could be cause for concern on wave '99L' now in the E. Atlantic using teleconnection):

"Noru":