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Tropical Storm Matthew moves into Central America

Posted by Sheena Parveen under Daily updates

Tropical Storm Matthew is moving onto the border of Nicaragua and Honduras with very heavy rains and wind speeds as high as 50 mph.  Tropical storm force winds are extending out 140 miles North of the center of Matthew.

Although Matthew is only a tropical storm, it is expected to drop 6 to 15 inches of rain in the next couple days as it moves across Central America and near the Yucatan Peninsula.  Matthew will slowly weaken as it moves over land, and the speed of the storm will decrease as well.  This slow speed is what will allow for high rainfall accumulations.  Coastal flooding along with high waves are occuring along where Matthew is making landfall.

Matthew will continue to be steered to the W/NW across land, then by Monday we could see this storm head for the Yucatan Peninsula.  The forecast cone grows wider with time because Matthew’s track heavily depends on an approaching trough from the NW.  Over the weekend and by early next week, we will have a much better idea on Matthew’s projected path, and the path of another area of low pressure that may possibly develop.

Some computer models are struggling to agree on where Matthew will be headed after the weekend.  The track of the models also heavily relies on an approaching trough from the NW, which will influence the direction Tropical Storm Matthew takes as it moves closer to the Gulf of Mexico.

The extended forecast for next Wednesday, September 29th sugests another area of low pressure developing in the wake of Matthew, just to its East.  This may be the storm to move North and develop further, but it has not developed yet.

Some computer models are picking up on this new area of low pressure forming, possibly from the remnants of Matthew.   The HWRF models shows the developing storm in the Caribbean by next week, nearing southern Cuba.

The GFS seems to be on the same track, developing a stronger area of low pressure through the Caribbean, and moving it more North.  Below is the GFS model 6 days from now, for Thursday, September 30th.

The Atlantic Ocean is only carrying one named storm at the time.  Tropical Storm Lisa is still holding on, but is expected to weaken is it moves into cooler waters with unfavorable atmospheric conditions.

The path continues N/NW with weakening expected over the weekend and into next week.  Lisa is about 320 miles NW of the Cape Verde Islands, not too far from where the storm was yesterday.

Aside from Lisa and Matthew, the rest of the tropics are quiet for the time being.  A large area of high pressure exists in the Northern Atlantic keeping a more stable atmosphere.