First Tropical Storm Forms in Atlantic

5-Day Forecast Cone for Tropical Storm Alex (Credit: NOAA NHC)

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1000 AM CDT WED JUN 30 2010

...ALEX HAS NOT STRENGTHENED YET...BUT FORECAST TO DO SO TODAY... 

Alex is now Category 1 Hurricane

The first Tropical Depression of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season became the first named Tropical Storm and is forecast to become the first Hurricane most likely before the end of Tuesday, June 29th.

NASA Data Sees Alex's Core Aligned, Growing Toward Hurricane Strength

An additional concern with this Tropical Storm is that it might hamper cleanup efforts of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse   Deepwater Horizon / BP Oil Spill Press Releases

Credit GOES-13 NASA (more info)

When we began tracking Alex, there were three active storms.  The two storms in the East Pacific, Hurricane Celia and Hurricane Darby became TS Celia and TS Darby and are no longer threats.  

For complete up to the minute information on this developing storm, click on the RSS feeds in the left navigation pane of this blog.   We will provide updates periodically as conditions warrant. NHC issuing advisories on TS ALEX

Current Watches & Warnings

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* 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

* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO
 

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED
36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE
PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS 
ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.

ADDITIONAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED 

Local Weather

Belize:  (Weather Underground)    Honduras: (Weather Underground)   
Mexico: (Maps of Mexico)           Texas: (NWS Austin)

Discussion & Outlook

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION (30 JUN)

LOCATION...23.8N 95.5W
ABOUT 145 MI...235 KM E OF LA PESCA MEXICO
ABOUT 190 MI...310 KM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH...130 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...961 MB...28.38 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  ALEX IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE BUT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE PRIOR TO LANDFALL. A GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN AFTER
THE CENTER CROSSES THE COASTLINE.

ALEX IS A LARGE CYCLONE AND THE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD
UP TO 60 MILES...95 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM PRIMARILY TO THE
NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL...ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN
TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES.  THESE RAINS
COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...
ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.  RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH ALEX
ARE SPREADING ONSHORE IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS.

WIND...HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST WITHIN
THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA TONIGHT. HOWEVER...TROPICAL STORM WINDS
SHOULD BEGIN SOON...MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR
DANGEROUS.

STORM SURGE...A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST
TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.  THE SURGE COULD
PENETRATE INLAND AS FAR AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE WITH DEPTH
GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE WATER MOVES INLAND.  NEAR THE COAST...
THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.

TORNADOES...ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHERN TEXAS TODAY AND TONIGHT.

There are no cruise ships in the immediate vicinity of Alex

Carnival Legend departed Sunday on a 7-night Western Caribbean that includes Honduras and Belize.  Based on the itinerary and the storms predicted path, there shouldn't be any changes to that cruise, but we will monitor this developing storm.

As always, Carnival Cruise Line will monitor the storm and make any necessary adjustments in schedules to protect ships, passengers, and crew.    No advisories are issued at this time.  The following link would have any updates:  Carnival Travel Advisory

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
Tropical Storm ALEX	National Hurricane Center
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (ATL)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (Atlantic)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

Historical Updates:

700 PM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...ALEX NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH...HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE APPROACHING

THE CENTER...

700 AM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT FINDS ALEX MOVING FASTER TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST...

1000 AM CDT SUN JUN 27 2010
...ALEX WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION...EXPECTED TO RESTRENGTHEN
OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO... 

1000 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010...ALEX MOVING INLAND OVER BELIZE...
 

400 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...AIR FORCE PLANE FINDS A STRONGER ALEX...WEATHER DETERIORATING
FAST IN BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...

700 AM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...ALEX HEADING TOWARD BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
(26 JUN) Tropical Depression ONE  has formed into the first named storm of the Atlantic 2010 Hurricane Season. We began watching this storm last night and it has become Tropical Storm Alex overnight.  It is currently 320  miles east of Belize.  On the current track, the storm is expected to reach the Yucatan Peninsula later today.