There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

None.

At 300 PM GMT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Theta was located near latitude 31.6 North, longitude 28.8 West. Theta is moving toward the east near 12 mph (19 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue for the next day or so, followed by a turn to the eastsoutheast along with a slowing of the forward motion. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 36 hours. Weakening is expected over the weekend, and Theta is forecast to become a remnant low on Sunday. Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 990 mb (29.24 inches).

Although the cloud top temperatures across the broad comma-shaped convective shield have warmed this morning, there is some new convection that has been developing nearer to Theta's center over the past few hours. Unfortunately, the scatterometer passes this morning missed sampling the winds near the center of the cyclone. However, the partial ASCAT-A overpass showed that 45 kt winds are occurring nearly 100 n mi to the southwest of the center of Theta. Therefore it is assumed that stronger winds are still occurring closer to the center of the cyclone, and the initial intensity is being held at 55 kt. Theta has now turned to the right, and the initial motion is 080/10 kt. For about the next 36 h, the cyclone is expected to continue moving just north of east around the north side of a mid-level ridge. A slower east-southeastward motion is expected from 36-72 h as the mid-level ridge to the south weakens and mid- to upper-level northerly flow moves over Theta. After 72 h, Theta or its remnants are expected to turn northeastward or northward and accelerate in the low-level flow ahead of an approaching deep-layer mid-latitude cyclone over the northeastern Atlantic. The latest track forecast is little changed from the previous one and is near the multi-model consensus tracks.

The shear across Theta is expected to relax somewhat over the day or so, while moving over cooler waters. The counteracting effects should allow the cyclone to maintain its intensity. By this weekend, strong northerly shear is expected to impact Theta, while stable air gets entrained into its circulation. This should cause the cyclone to weaken, with the system likely degenerating into a remnant low by Sunday. The latest NHC intensity forecast is just slightly above the guidance through 60 h, and is near the various consensus models thereafter.