Tropical update 5 am

[WXBUFFJIM]

Good morning. No real changes at 5 am. Fabian has 125 mph winds, Grace has 40 mph winds and Jimena still has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph with higher gusts.

First stop is the central pacific this morning. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Big island of Hawaii. At 5 AM EDT, the center of Hurricane Jimena was located near latitude 17.8 north, longitude 147.0 west. Jimena was moving west at near 17 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are 105 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extend outward 35 miles from the center while tropical storm force winds extend outward 140 miles. Minimum central pressure is 971 mb or 28.67 inches. One of the biggest threats to the big island of Hawaii will be dangerous and large battering waves of 10-15 feet near shore on the east facing beaches.

Hurricane Fabian continues west northwest this motning. At 5 AM the center of Hurricane Fabian was located near latitude 18.0 north, longitude 51.9 west or about 640 miles east of the Leeward Islands. Fabian is moving th the west northwest at 13 mph. Maximum sustained winds still remains at 125 mph with higher gusts. Further strengthening is forecast and Fabian is expected to become a category 4 hurricane in the next day or so. Minimum central pressure is still 952 mb or 28.11 inches.

Also keep an eye southeast of FABIAN at the next developing tropical wave. That could easily be tropical storm Henri in the next few days. That will ave to watch since it's farther south in latitude increasing the threat to the leeward islands and lesser antillies within say the next 6-7 days or so.

In the meantime Grace is a minimal tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Movement is nw at 14 mph and minimum central pressure is 1009 mb or 29.80 inches. The tropical storm warning from high island to corpus cristi remains the same at this hour. Rainfall amounts of around 6 inches with locally higher amounts is possible in the heaviest band near the center of grace. Storm surge flooding of around 2 feet above normal tide level along with large battering waves can be expected to the right of where the center makes landfall. Isolated tornadoes is also possible in heaviest squalls northeast of the center, although that probability is low today.

More updates soon.

Jim

[WXBUFFJIM]

Maximum sustained winds are still 40 mph, movement is still northwest at 14 mph. Pressure remains at 1009 mb, or 29.80 inches. Warnings remain the same as it is on the post above. Grace should make landfall later today sometime this afternoon if not sooner.

The latest coordinates at 7 AM CDT or 8 AM EDT centers Grace at 27.7 north, 96.0 west or about 85 miles est of Corpus Cristi, Texas.

Stay tuned.

Jim