News Release

Tropical Depression Humberto fizzling, 2 areas developing

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

GOES Sees Atlantic Ocean Systems

image: GOES-East satellite provided a visible image of the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 19 at 7:45 a.m. EDT that showed the three tropical systems. System 95L (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, a low near the Bahamas (center) and Tropical Depression Humberto (right). view more 

Credit: Credit: NASA GOES Project

Imagery from NOAA's GOES-East satellite on Sept. 19 showed Tropical Depression Humberto had lost its organization, while one tropical low struggled near Bermuda, and another one was taking shape in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. NASA's HS3 hurricane mission is sending an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft to investigate the developing system in the Gulf.

NOAA's GOES-East satellite provided a visible image of the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 19 at 7:45 a.m. EDT that showed the three tropical systems. The image was created by the NASA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The image showed Humberto as a ghost of its former self, while an area near the Bahamas appeared elongated, and a low pressure area in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico appears more organized than it was on Sept. 18.

Tropical Depression Humberto About to be Swallowed Up

According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Depression Humberto is poised to be absorbed within a large extra-tropical cyclone in a day or two. At 11 a.m. EDT on Sept. 19 Humberto was in the North Central Atlantic, near latitude 32.8 north and longitude 43.3 west. It was far from land areas. In fact, it was about 985 miles/1,585 km west-southwest of the Azores. It was moving toward the north-northeast near 6 mph/9 kph. Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph/ 55 kph.

The environment around Humberto is interesting. Although the extra-tropical cyclone approaching Humberto is expected to swallow it up, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric stability around the depression are conducive for convection today, Sept. 19. However, According to the National Hurricane Center, dry conditions and strong northerly vertical wind shear are likely to lead toward the System becoming a remnant low by 24 hours before it becomes absorbed.

NASA's Global Hawk Headed for System 95L

System 95L is a low pressure system sitting in the Bay of Campeche with a high chance for tropical development. So, NASA's Hurricane Severe Storms Sentinel or HS3 mission has sent an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft to the storm to investigate. On Thursday, Sept. 19 at 8:10 a.m. EDT, NASA's Global Hawk 872 departed from Runway 10 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.

NASA's Global Hawk 872 carries the environmental payload of instruments that include the CPL or Cloud Physics Lidar, S-HIS or Scanning High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder Instrument, and NOAA's AVAPS dropsonde system.

NASA 872 is going to investigate the environment of System 95L. System 95L was producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity during the morning of Sept. 19. The National Hurricane Center noted that conditions still appear conducive for the formation of a tropical depression during the next day or two. System 95L has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next day as it moves west-northwestward to northwestward at 5 to 10 mph. The low pressure area is expected to spread heavy rain over portions of eastern and southern Mexico drenching areas already soaked by Hurricane Ingrid.

Another Developing Area in the Atlantic

Another low pressure area (a frontal trough) located between the Bahamas and Bermuda are producing clouds and showers. Upper-level winds do not appear conducive for significant tropical development

The National Hurricane Center noted that the low could develop some subtropical characteristics while it moves generally northeastward over the western Atlantic through early next week. The low has a low chance of becoming a subtropical cyclone during the next two days.

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Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


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