Tropical Depression Victor Advisory 18

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

None.

At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Victor was located near latitude 17.1 North, longitude 41.3 West. The depression is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h), and a northwestward or west northwestward motion is expected over the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is expected during the next couple of days, and Victor is forecast to degenerate to a remnant low by Monday and dissipate soon thereafter. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

The convective structure of Victor has deteriorated this afternoon. Only small pulses of convection have been observed north of the center over the past several hours. Victor's exposed low-level circulation is also becoming more diffuse, with multiple cloud swirls noted in visible satellite imagery. Hopefully, scatterometer data this evening will provide more information about whether Victor still possesses a closed and well-defined surface center. For now, Victor is held as a 30-kt tropical depression, which is consistent with earlier scatterometer winds and a blend of the data-T and current intensity Dvorak estimates from TAFB and SAB.

Victor is unlikely to remain a tropical cyclone for much longer. The dry mid-level environment and 20-25 kt of southwesterly vertical wind shear are expected to limit Victor's ability to sustain deep, organized convection going forward. Even if another diurnal convective pulse occurs tonight, it should be quickly stripped away from the center by the moderate to strong shear. The official NHC forecast shows Victor becoming a remnant low on Monday, then opening up into a trough and dissipating soon thereafter. Victor is moving northwestward, or 315/11 kt. A northwestward or west-northwestward motion is expected to continue through dissipation as the depression is steered by a subtropical ridge to its northeast. The official NHC track forecast is essentially an update of the previous one.

The convective structure of Victor has deteriorated this afternoon. Only small pulses of convection have been observed north of the center over the past several hours. Victor's exposed low-level circulation is also becoming more diffuse, with multiple cloud swirls noted in visible satellite imagery. Hopefully, scatterometer data this evening will provide more information about whether Victor still possesses a closed and well-defined surface center. For now, Victor is held as a 30-kt tropical depression, which is consistent with earlier scatterometer winds and a blend of the data-T and current intensity Dvorak estimates from TAFB and SAB.

Victor is unlikely to remain a tropical cyclone for much longer. The dry mid-level environment and 20-25 kt of southwesterly vertical wind shear are expected to limit Victor's ability to sustain deep, organized convection going forward. Even if another diurnal convective pulse occurs tonight, it should be quickly stripped away from the center by the moderate to strong shear. The official NHC forecast shows Victor becoming a remnant low on Monday, then opening up into a trough and dissipating soon thereafter. Victor is moving northwestward, or 315/11 kt. A northwestward or west-northwestward motion is expected to continue through dissipation as the depression is steered by a subtropical ridge to its northeast. The official NHC track forecast is essentially an update of the previous one.