At the end of April there were 241 satellite-tracked drifting buoys, of which 73% had subsurface drogues intact, in operation for the WOCE/CLIVAR Surface Velocity Program in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The SEC continues to be unseasonably strong across the entire basin. The NEC is normal. The surface expression of the NECC has virtually vanished. There is some indication that tropical instability waves are active between 140W and 120W north of the equator; this is earlier than they usually become manifest. SST anomalies at the end of the month are positive in the equatorial strip (<= 1 degree C). Strong positive anomalies (1-5 degrees C) are found near the American coast east of 140W and north of 20N.

FIGURE T26 - Movements of drifting buoys in the tropical Pacific Ocean during April 1995. The linear segments of the trajectories represents two week displacements. Red (solid) paths show buoys drogued to 15-m depth; blue (dotted) paths show undrogued buoys.