Struggling Tropical Storms

Posted on: 10:26 am, August 5, 2012, by Jennifer Watson

Source: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml

As of the latest 10:00 am CDT/11:00 am EDT advisory, both Tropical Storm Ernesto and Florence are both struggling to strengthen as they continue moving westward into increasingly unfavorably environments. Tropical Storm Ernesto has not strengthened over the past 24 hours and still currently has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Hurricane Hunters flew into Ernesto earlier this morning and found a poorly disorganized system, with the center of the storm to the west of the deepest convection. Ernesto is moving into drier air which is limiting any strengthening. As the storm turns more northwest, there is only a small chance it could strengthen into a category one hurricane before it makes landfall somewhere along the Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday morning. After moving over the Yucatan Peninsula, Ernesto will push into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and may strengthen briefly before making a second landfall likely in Mexico, staying well to the south of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Below is the latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center for Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Tropical Storm Florence still has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, but is struggling as it continues to move into an environment with strong upper level winds and drier air, preventing it from gaining strength. As Florence continues to move west-northwest over the next several days into more unfavorable conditions, it is expected to weaken into a depression. Below is the latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center for Tropical Storm Florence.