1. Rene is expected to produce tropical storm conditions acrossportions of the western Cabo Verde Islands for a few more hours. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for those islands.

2. Rene will continue to bring locally heavy rainfall to portions of the western Cabo Verde Islands today.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
- Cabo Verde Islands

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.

Key messages for Tropical Storm Rene can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3, WMO header WTNT43 KNHC, and on the web at www.hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT3.shtml

RAINFALL: Rene is expected to produce 1 to 3 inches of rain across portions of the Cabo Verde Islands today.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are still occurring over the western portion of the Cabo Verde Islands. These winds will subside later today.

SURF: Swells generated by Rene are affecting portions of the Cabo Verde Islands. These swells are likely to cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

At 200 PM CVT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Rene was located near latitude 16.5 North, longitude 26.5 West. Rene is moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 km/h), and a motion toward the west to westnorthwest is expected over the next two or three days. On the forecast track, the center of Rene will move away from the Cabo Verde Islands later today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected today, followed by gradual strengthening on Thursday and Friday. Rene is forecast to become a hurricane in a couple of days.

Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1001 mb (29.56 inches).

Rene is starting to pull away from the Cabo Verde Islands, though some of the outer rainbands are affecting the far northwestern islands. Although the tropical storm has a well-defined circulation, the convective banding features have not become any better organized since yesterday. The satellite classifications are largely unchanged and range from 25 to 37 kt, and a recent ASCAT-B pass showed maximum winds in the 30-35 kt range. Based on all of this data, the initial intensity is again held at 35 kt.

The tropical storm is moving westward at a faster pace of 14 kt. Amid-level ridge to the north of Rene is expected to build westward,which should cause the cyclone to move westward towest-northwestward at about the same forward speed during the nextcouple of days. After that time, the storm is expected to slow downand turn northwestward and then northward as it moves into apronounced weakness in the ridge. Although the models agree on theoverall scenario, there are notable differences in where and howsharply Rene will recurve with the GFS on the right side of theguidance and the ECMWF on the left. The NHC track forecast isadjusted a little to the right of the previous one, but still liescloser to the left side of the guidance envelope between the HCCAand TVCA consensus aids.

Although Rene has not strengthened since yesterday, the modelscontinue to suggest that the storm will steadily strengthen duringthe next few days while it moves over relatively warm 26-27 Cwaters and remains in environment of low wind shear and highmoisture. Beyond that time, increasing southwesterly wind shearand drier air should end the strengthening trend and induce gradualweakening. The NHC intensity forecast is largely an update of theprevious one and lies near the HCCA and IVCN models.