FLORENCE
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the centre of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 21.4 North, longitude 44.8 West. Florence is temporarily moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h). A turn back toward the west-northwest is expected later today, and
this general motion is expected to continue with Florence’s forward speed decreasing by the weekend.
Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts. A gradual weakening trend is forecast to begin tonight and
continue through Friday. After that time, Florence is forecast to restrengthen through the weekend.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles
(150 km).
1. A broad area of low pressure accompanied by disorganised cloudiness and showers is entered a couple of hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions are forecast to become conducive for development, and a tropical depression is expected to form by the end of the week while the system moves west- northwestward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…40 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent.
2. A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa in a few days. Some development of the system is possible over the
weekend while the wave moves westward over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean.
* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.