Tropical Storm Fred Fades, New Low Pressure Area Moves Off Western Africa Coast
By NASA // September 5, 2015
New System Developing Behind Fred
ABOVE VIDEO: The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core satellite passed over Fred when it was developing in the Eastern Atlantic early August 30 and saw “hot towers” in the storm, which hinted that the storm was intensifying.
The Eastern Atlantic Ocean continues to generate storms this hurricane season, and as satellites watch Tropical Storm Fred fade over the next couple of days, a new area of low pressure has moved off the coast of western Africa.
A visible image of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 4 at 7:45 a.m. EDT showed Tropical Depression Fred as a tight swirl of low clouds, with clouds and storms only southeast of the center.
The GOES image also showed the new low pressure area called System 91L just off the coast of western Africa.
The GOES image was created by the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Where is Fred?
At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Fred was located near latitude 22.3 North and longitude 38.3 West.
That puts the center of Fred about 1,275 miles (2,050 km) southwest of the Azores islands.
Fred was moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 kph), and is expected to turn toward the northwest by early on September 6. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 millibars.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph), and is expected to weaken to a remnant low pressure area by September 5 because it is in an area of strong upper-level winds.
Another System Developing Behind Fred
To the southeast of Fred, another area of low pressure in a tropical wave designated System 91L, had moved off the coast of western Africa.
At 0600 UTC (2 a.m. EDT) the center of System 91L was located near 10.7 North latitude and 18.1 West longitude, a couple of hundred miles off the west coast of Africa. System 91L is expected to move south of the Cape Verde Islands late on September 4 and 5.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that the low continues to show signs of organization and has the potential for some development as it moves westward at 15 to 20 mph across the tropical Atlantic during the next few days.
NHC gives System 91L a 40 percent chance to develop in the next two days and 60 percent chance in five days.
So, forecasters will watch as Fred fizzles and 91L ramps up over the next several days.
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