#24 Postby BigA » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:20 pm
Right now the wave's vorticity maximum (I will refrain from calling it a circulation, though the spin is quite apparent on visible satellite) is in western Ghana at about 7 North. The majority of the convection is in a mesoscale convective system ahead of the vorticity max.
Most of the models show that the wave (or at least the vorticity) will gain substantial latitude before it leaves the African coast, and that it will exit between 12 and 15 North. Therefore, I would expect this to occur. However, if the system gains less latitude and comes off the coast at 9-10 North, quick recurvature as shown by the GFS is probably less likely.
It should be noted that not all the models show rapid recurvature in the eastern Atlantic, though most indicate some form of recurvature before the system gets too far west across the Atlantic. However, the ECMWF and UKMET, which keep it weaker/undeveloped, move it fairly straight westward through 240 and 144 hours respectively.
It's still well over Africa, so we've got plenty of time before development can even occur. The most interesting thing to watch now is whether the spin associated with the wave gains substantial latitude before it exits the coast.
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