Tropical Storm Rene Advisory 14

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

None.

At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Rene was located near latitude 18.6 North, longitude 35.8 West. Rene is moving toward the westnorthwest near 12 mph (19 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days, followed by a turn toward the northwest.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast for the next couple of days, and Rene is expected to become a hurricane by Saturday. Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Rene was located near latitude 18.6 North, longitude 35.8 West. Rene is moving toward the westnorthwest near 12 mph (19 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days, followed by a turn toward the northwest.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast for the next couple of days, and Rene is expected to become a hurricane by Saturday. Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

Vertical shear appears to have lessened somewhat over Rene, with the estimated center more embedded within the convective cloud mass. The storm has also developed a better defined anticyclonic outflow pattern. Dvorak intensity estimates from both TAFB and SAB are 45 kt, and that will be used for the advisory intensity. Since the vertical shear is not expected to be strong for the next 48 hours or so, gradual strengthening is anticipated during that time, and Rene is forecast to become a hurricane by Saturday. This is in reasonable agreement with the latest intensity model consensus, IVCN. In the latter half of the forecast period, increased westerly shear over the tropical cyclone is expected, which should lead to weakening. Rene continues on a west-northwestward track, and is moving at about 285/10 kt. The tropical cyclone is currently located on the southwest side of a mid-level ridge over the eastern Atlantic. Over the next few days, Rene should move around the western periphery of this ridge and turn from a west-northwestward to a north-northwestward heading. Around the end of the forecast period, a high building to the northwest of the cyclone will likely cause a significant slowing of the forward speed. The official track forecast is a little left of the previous one to be in better agreement with the latest model consensus predictions.