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 31.7 North, longitude 23.8 West. Theta is moving toward the east near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the eastsoutheast along with a slowing of forward speed is expected later today. A continued slow eastsoutheastward motion is then expected through the weekend followed a turn sharply toward the north by early next week. Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast today. Weakening is expected through the weekend, and Theta should become a remnant low on Sunday. Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 195 miles (315 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 993 mb (29.33 inches).

Satellite images and microwave data this morning are showing that Theta finally has a more classic appearance of a tropical storm. There is a warming of cloud tops over the center, with a curved band of convection wrapping around the eastern portion of the circulation. The scatterometer overpasses missed the core of the cyclone this morning. However, since the cloud pattern has not degraded since the previous advisory, the intensity is being held at 50 kt for this advisory.

Theta is forecast to change little in intensity today as the cyclone continues moving in a low shear zone associated with a mid- to upper-level trough axis. By tomorrow, strong northerly shear is forecast to begin impacting the system while stable air gets entrained into its circulation. As a result, Theta is expected to spin down over the weekend, degenerate to a remnant low on Sunday, and dissipate by the middle of next week.

Theta continues to move eastward at around 10 kt, steered by a mid-level ridge extending westward from west Africa to the eastern tropical Atlantic. A turn to the east-southeast along with a gradual slowing of the forward motion is expected later today and continuing through the weekend as the ridge weakens, and mid- to upper level northerly winds impart on the cyclone. Early next week, what remains of Theta are expected to turn northward and then accelerate northeastward as a mid-latitude cyclone passes to the north of the region. The NHC forecast is little changed from the previous one and lies near the various consensus aids.