332  
WTNT45 KNHC 210841  
TCDAT5  
 
HURRICANE TAMMY DISCUSSION NUMBER 12  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL202023  
500 AM AST SAT OCT 21 2023  
 
MOSAIC RADAR DATA FROM MARTINIQUE, GUADELOUPE, AND BARBADOS SHOW  
THAT TAMMY'S CORE IS PASSING JUST TO THE EAST OF MARTINIQUE AND  
DOMINICA. THE EYEWALL HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED DURING THE PAST  
SEVERAL HOURS ALTHOUGH IT IS OPEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. IN INFRARED  
SATELLITE IMAGERY, THE HURRICANE HAS A RELATIVELY SMALL CDO AND A  
PROMINENT TRAILING CONVECTIVE BAND TO THE SOUTH, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF  
AN EYE. BASED ON EARLIER AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE DATA,  
TAMMY'S INITIAL INTENSITY REMAINS 70 KT.  
 
AIRCRAFT FIXES AND THE RADAR DATA INDICATE THAT TAMMY HAS FINALLY  
TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AT 305/8 KT. A STRONG MID-LATITUDE TROUGH  
MOVING OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES IS ERODING THE  
WESTERN PORTION OF THE ATLANTIC SUBTROPICAL RIDGE, WHICH SHOULD  
CAUSE TAMMY TO CONTINUE NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS  
THROUGH TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY, AND THEN TURN NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD  
AND NORTHWARD SUNDAY AND MONDAY. FOR THE FIRST 3 DAYS OF THE  
FORECAST, THE NEW NHC TRACK PREDICTION IS NEARLY ON TOP OF THE  
PREVIOUS FORECAST AND IS CLOSE TO THE HCCA CONSENSUS AIDS. THERE  
HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE GLOBAL MODEL SOLUTIONS BEYOND DAY  
3. SOME MODELS (THE ECMWF AND UKMET) SHOW THE TROUGH COMPLETELY  
BYPASSING TAMMY AND LEAVING THE CYCLONE TO STALL NORTH OF PUERTO  
RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, WHILE OTHERS (THE GFS AND CANADIAN)  
INITIALLY SHOW TAMMY TURNING NORTHEASTWARD BUT THEN INTERACTING  
WITH A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND SLOWING DOWN OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC.  
THE NHC TRACK FORECAST HAS BEEN SHIFTED SIGNIFICANTLY WESTWARD ON  
DAYS 4 AND 5 TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE LATEST MODEL TRENDS.  
 
TAMMY WILL CONTINUE MOVING OVER VERY WARM WATERS OF 29-30 DEGREES  
CELSIUS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, BUT THE STORM WILL ALSO CONTINUE  
TO CONTEND WITH SOME MODERATE WESTERLY OR SOUTHWESTERLY VERTICAL  
SHEAR. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT  
FEW DAYS DEPENDING ON IF THE OCEANIC OR ATMOSPHERIC FACTORS WIN  
OUT, BUT ALL IN ALL LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS PREDICTED DURING  
THE NEXT 3 TO 4 DAYS. SOME WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE AT THE END OF THE  
FORECAST PERIOD DUE TO A MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SHEAR.  
 
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1. HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS  
OF THE LEEWARD AND NORTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS THROUGH SUNDAY.  
 
2. HEAVY RAINS FROM TAMMY WILL AFFECT THE WINDWARD AND LEEWARD  
ISLANDS TODAY, SPREADING INTO THE BRITISH AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS  
AND EASTERN PUERTO RICO AS EARLY AS SUNDAY. THIS RAINFALL MAY  
PRODUCE ISOLATED FLASH AND URBAN FLOODING, ALONG WITH ISOLATED  
MUDSLIDES IN AREAS OF HIGHER TERRAIN.  
 
3. A STORM SURGE COULD PRODUCE COASTAL FLOODING IN AREAS OF ONSHORE  
WINDS AS THE CENTER OF TAMMY MOVES NEAR OR OVER THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.  
NEAR THE COAST, THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS  
WAVES.  
 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INIT 21/0900Z 15.2N 60.4W 70 KT 80 MPH  
12H 21/1800Z 16.3N 61.3W 75 KT 85 MPH  
24H 22/0600Z 17.8N 62.4W 75 KT 85 MPH  
36H 22/1800Z 19.3N 63.3W 75 KT 85 MPH  
48H 23/0600Z 20.6N 64.0W 75 KT 85 MPH  
60H 23/1800Z 21.9N 64.2W 75 KT 85 MPH  
72H 24/0600Z 22.8N 64.0W 75 KT 85 MPH  
96H 25/0600Z 24.5N 63.1W 70 KT 80 MPH  
120H 26/0600Z 27.0N 62.1W 60 KT 70 MPH  
 

 
FORECASTER BERG  
 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab TPC Page Main Text Page