852  
WTPZ41 KNHC 230236  
TCDEP1  
 
HURRICANE FAUSTO DISCUSSION NUMBER 17  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP062026  
500 PM HST WED JUL 22 2026  
 
FAUSTO HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. THERE HAVE  
BEEN SIGNS OF A CLOUD-FILLED EYE ON GOES-18 VISIBLE IMAGERY, AT  
TIMES, WITH AN IMPRESSIVE CENTRAL DENSE OVERCAST ALONG WITH TIGHT  
BANDING NOTED. WATER VAPOR CHANNELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SOME DRY AIR  
JUST TO THE NORTH, IMPINGING ON FAUSTO. SUBJECTIVE DVORAK NUMBERS  
FROM TAFB ARE 4.5/75 KT, WHILE OBJECTIVE NUMBERS ARE WIDE-RANGING  
FROM 53-81 KT. TAKING A BLEND OF THE SATELLITE ESTIMATES, THE  
INITIAL INTENSITY IS HELD AT 70 KT FOR THIS ADVISORY.  
 
THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE TRACK FORECAST REASONING. THE INITIAL  
MOTION IS WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OR 290 DEGREES AT 7 KT. FAUSTO SHOULD  
SPEED UP SOON, IN A DIRECTION BETWEEN WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST, AS  
RIDGING STRENGTHENS TO THE NORTH OF THE CYCLONE. THAT MOTION SHOULD  
THEN CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THERE  
IS NOTABLE ALONG-TRACK SPREAD AT DAYS 4-5. THE GFS IS THE SLOWEST  
AND FARTHEST NORTH, WHILE THE HCCA (CORRECTED CONSENSUS) AND GDMI  
(GOOGLE DEEP MIND ENSEMBLE MEAN) ARE THE FASTEST AND FARTHEST SOUTH  
MODELS. THE TCVN SIMPLE CONSENSUS IS IN BETWEEN THE TWO CAMPS. THE  
NHC FORECAST LEANS MUCH CLOSER TO THE HCCA AND GDMI, BUT IS NOT  
QUITE AS FAR SOUTH OR AS FAST AS THOSE SOLUTIONS. THIS FORECAST IS  
NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THE PREVIOUS NHC FORECAST.  
 
FAUSTO WILL REMAIN IN A LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT FOR THE NEXT 5 DAYS.  
THE CYCLONE IS CURRENTLY OVER SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SSTS)  
BETWEEN 26-27C, AND THOSE SSTS WILL DECREASE SLIGHTLY TO AROUND 26C  
IN ABOUT 48 H. MEANWHILE, MID-LEVEL RELATIVE HUMIDITIES APPEAR  
MOIST ENOUGH FOR THE HURRICANE TO MAINTAIN ITS INTENSITY THROUGH 36  
H, DESPITE THE CURRENT NEARBY DRY AIR NOTED JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE  
CYCLONE. FAUSTO WILL MOVE INTO A PROGRESSIVELY DRIER ENVIRONMENT  
BETWEEN DAY 2-4, WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO GRADUAL WEAKENING. THE NHC  
INTENSITY FORECAST IS TOWARD THE HIGHER SIDE OF THE GUIDANCE FOR THE  
FIRST 48 H. THEREAFTER, THE FORECAST LIES CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE OF  
THE INTENSITY GUIDANCE ENVELOPE. GIVEN THE EXPECTED MID-LEVEL  
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE 30 TO 40 PERCENT RANGE FROM DAYS 4-5, IT  
IS LIKELY THAT FAUSTO WILL WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL STORM BY THE END OF  
THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INIT 23/0300Z 17.5N 123.0W 70 KT 80 MPH  
12H 23/1200Z 17.7N 124.7W 75 KT 85 MPH  
24H 24/0000Z 18.0N 127.4W 75 KT 85 MPH  
36H 24/1200Z 18.3N 130.1W 75 KT 85 MPH  
48H 25/0000Z 18.6N 132.8W 70 KT 80 MPH  
60H 25/1200Z 18.9N 135.4W 65 KT 75 MPH  
72H 26/0000Z 19.2N 137.8W 65 KT 75 MPH  
96H 27/0000Z 19.9N 142.6W 60 KT 70 MPH  
120H 28/0000Z 20.6N 147.9W 55 KT 65 MPH  
 

 
FORECASTER HAGEN  
 
 
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