Dean Still A Category 4

The latest Advisory from the National Hurricane Center at 1 o’clock this afternoon, Alabama time, keeps powerful Hurricane Dean at Category 4. Satellite photographs show that he is a classic example of a powerful hurricane–shall we say a text book example. Here is the latest information concerning Dean:

LOCATION/MOVEMENT
Near latitude 18.0N and longitude 83.2W or about 330 miles east of Belize City. Moving west near 21 mph, no change in that. A west or WNW direction is expected for the next 24 hours. On this track, the center is expected to make landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula very early Tuesday morning. However, the weather will go downhill much earlier.

WIND/PRESSURE
Highest sustained winds are still near 150 mph with much higher gusts, so he is still a Category 4. The NHC thinks he will grow stronger later today and will likely become a Category 5 prior to landfall. Hurricane-force winds extend out up to 60 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds up to 205 miles. Estimated pressure near the center 924mb or 27.29 inches.

RAIN AMOUNTS
1 to 3 inches additional rain possible over Jamaica even though Dean is moving away. They could get up to 20 inches for a storm total. On the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Guatemala and Northern Honduras 5 to 10 inches of rain with maximum amounts up to 20 inches.

TRACK FORECAST
Scroll down to see our map on the 10:00 a.m. Advisory. It is pretty much unchanged and on track. It appears that the USA will not be directly affected.

SOUTH TEXAS IMPACT
The center of Dean should move inland far to the south of the mouth of the Rio Grande. Let’s look at Brownsville, as far south as you can go in Texas. They expect increasing thunderstorms on Wednesday with locally heavy rain and east winds up to 25 mph in the afternoon. The heavy rain will continue Wednesday night and Thursday, tapering off later Thursday.

ALABAMA IMPACT
Nothing dramatic, however, the NWS in Mobile believes that a high surf advisory may be necessary along the Alabama coast later and maybe a moderate to high risk of rip currents. The current forecast calls for 6 to 7-foot seas along the Alabama coast Tuesday night and Wednesday.

LATE SPOT REPORTS
WEATHER BUOY 42056/NW CARIBBEAN: Wind ENE 26 with gusts to 34 mph. 8.9-foot waves. Water temperature 86. That buoy will be very interesting to watch as Dean gets closer and tomorrow we will be watching a data buoy in the Bay of Campeche.

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