Monday, July 11, 2005

Today N42RF is ferrying back to Costa Rica. N43RF is remaining in Jacksonville for repairs, and is planning to return to Costa Rica as soon as that is completed, hopefully tomorrow. The ER-2 is not flying today.

Tropical Depression Five has formed in the central Atlantic, about 1100 nm east of the islands. The NHC official forecasts calls for a hurricane in the eastern Caribbean in 5 days, with a possible threat to the U.S. mainland after that (though that is very far out into the future). The East Pacific still does not have any immediate prospects for genesis. However, there is a tropical wave in the central Caribbean that should be in the East Pacific by Thursday. Convection has flared up off the western coast of Central America, though this may just be diurnal-driven convection. The environment has become somewhat more favorable for genesis in the East Pacific, but nothing appears imminent in the next 1-2 days. However, attention must be payed to T.D. #5, which if it forms will be named Emily. That may necessitate a tasking from NHC, which may mean the end of the experiment (or at least P-3 operations out of Costa Rica).

Rob Rogers
HRD Field Program director