WTIO30 FMEE 101233
RSMC / TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTER / LA REUNION
TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECAST WARNING (SOUTH-WEST INDIAN OCEAN)
0.A WARNING NUMBER: 8/8/20232024
1.A TROPICAL DEPRESSION 8
2.A POSITION 2024/03/10 AT 1200 UTC:
WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 20.2 S / 38.8 E
(TWENTY DECIMAL TWO DEGREES SOUTH AND
THIRTY EIGHT DECIMAL EIGHT DEGREES EAST)
MOVEMENT: WEST 8 KT
3.A DVORAK ANALYSIS: 2.5/2.5/D 0.5/6 H
4.A CENTRAL PRESSURE: 1001 HPA
5.A MAX AVERAGE WIND SPEED (10 MN): 30 KT
RADIUS OF MAXIMUM WINDS (RMW): NIL
6.A EXTENSION OF WIND BY QUADRANTS (KM):
28 KT NE: 205 SE: 185 SW: 130 NW: 75
7.A FIRST CLOSED ISOBAR (PRESSURE / AVERAGE DIAM): 1010 HPA / 700 KM
8.A VERTICAL EXTENSION OF CYCLONE CIRCULATION: DEEP
1.B FORECASTS (WINDS RADII IN KM):
12H: 2024/03/11 00 UTC: 20.3 S / 37.6 E, VENT MAX= 035 KT, MODERATE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 195 SE: 305 SW: 285 NW: 0
34 KT NE: 85 SE: 175 SW: 155 NW: 0
24H: 2024/03/11 12 UTC: 20.5 S / 36.5 E, VENT MAX= 045 KT, MODERATE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 270 SE: 360 SW: 295 NW: 150
34 KT NE: 120 SE: 215 SW: 165 NW: 75
36H: 2024/03/12 00 UTC: 21.1 S / 35.5 E, VENT MAX= 055 KT, SEVERE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 280 SE: 295 SW: 215 NW: 85
34 KT NE: 130 SE: 165 SW: 95 NW: 55
48 KT NE: 45 SE: 55 SW: 35 NW: 35
48H: 2024/03/12 12 UTC: 22.5 S / 34.4 E, VENT MAX= 035 KT, MODERATE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 205 SE: 240 SW: 0 NW: 0
34 KT NE: 150 SE: 165 SW: 0 NW: 0
60H: 2024/03/13 00 UTC: 24.4 S / 33.8 E, VENT MAX= 030 KT, OVERLAND
DEPRESSION
28 KT NE: 215 SE: 230 SW: 215 NW: 0
72H: 2024/03/13 12 UTC: 26.7 S / 34.5 E, VENT MAX= 040 KT, MODERATE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 220 SE: 230 SW: 215 NW: 110
34 KT NE: 100 SE: 130 SW: 100 NW: 0
2.B LONGER-RANGE OUTLOOK:
96H: 2024/03/14 12 UTC: 32.2 S / 41.3 E, VENT MAX= 060 KT, SEVERE
TROPICAL STORM
28 KT NE: 405 SE: 230 SW: 220 NW: 270
34 KT NE: 215 SE: 130 SW: 130 NW: 140
48 KT NE: 75 SE: 65 SW: 35 NW: 35
120H: 2024/03/15 12 UTC: 37.3 S / 53.7 E, VENT MAX= 050 KT,
POST-TROPICAL DEPRESSION
28 KT NE: 270 SE: 230 SW: 215 NW: 140
34 KT NE: 120 SE: 130 SW: 100 NW: 55
48 KT NE: 0 SE: 60 SW: 40 NW: 40
2.C ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
T=CI=2.5
OVER THE PAST 6 HOURS, THE SYSTEM'S CLOUD PATTERN SYSTEM HAS IMPROVED
SIGNIFICANTLY. A CURVED BAND WRAPPING AROUND HALF A TURN FORMED. IN
ADDITION, A PARTIAL CONVECTIVE CORE HAS BEGUN TO FORM, ALTHOUGH STILL
OPEN ON ITS NORTH SIDE, AS EVIDENCED BY THE 1049Z AMSR-2 IMAGE. THESE
ELEMENTS SHOW THAT NAMING STAGE IS PROBABLY VERY CLOSE, BEARING IN
MIND THAT WINDS WERE ALREADY REACHING 30KT AT 06UTC. IN THE ABSENCE
OF MORE SOLID OBJECTIVE DATA, THE INTENSITY IS LEFT AT A 30KT
TROPICAL DEPRESSION STAGE, BUT LOCAL PEAKS NEAR 35KT ARE VERY LIKELY
IN THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE. MODERATE TROPICAL STORM STAGE IS
IMMINENT.
THE SYSTEM IS TRACKING WESTWARD THEN WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD IN THE SHORT
TERM, ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE LOW-LEVEL SUBTROPICAL RIDGE.
BETWEEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, A SOUTHWESTWARD THEN SOUTHWARD TURN
SHOULD TAKE PLACE ALONG THE NORTH-WESTERN EDGE OF THE MID-LEVEL
RIDGE, WHICH IS MOVING SOUTH OF MADAGASCAR. THIS SHOULD TAKE THE
SYSTEM OVER SOME PARTS OF THE LAND OF SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE, BUT THIS
PORTION OF THE TRACK REMAINS QUITE UNCERTAIN, DEPENDING ON THE
SYSTEM'S INTENSITY AND THEREFORE THE STEERING FLOW'S ELEVATION (A
HIGHER INTENSITY WOULD ENABLE A MORE MERIDIAN TRACK ALONG THE COAST,
WHILE A LOWER INTENSITY WOULD ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO PENETRATE MORE
DEEPLY INLAND). FROM THURSDAY ONWARDS, THE SYSTEM SHOULD MOVE
SOUTHEASTWARDS, ACCELERATING AS IT INTERACTS WITH THE EDGE OF A
MID-LATITUDE TROUGH, ENABLING IT TO MOVE OUT OVER THE SOUTHERN OCEAN.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING THIS SUNDAY EVENING, DESPITE
SOME WIND SHEAR STILL PRESENT IN THE SHORT TERM, THEN THIS SHEAR
SHOULD WEAKEN MORE FRANKLY ON MONDAY. UPPER DIVERGENCE SHOULD THEN
BECOME EXCELLENT, WITH AN OUTFLOW CHANNEL EXPECTED SOUTHEAST OF THE
SYSTEM. SURFACE CONVERGENCE SHOULD ALSO IMPROVE, AND THE OCEANIC
POTENTIAL IS VERY HIGH. INTENSIFICATION IS THEREFORE EXPECTED TO BE
SLOW AT FIRST OVERNIGHT, THEN MORE RAPID FROM MONDAY ONWARDS.
MODERATE TROPICAL STORM STAGE SHOULD BE REACHED THIS SUNDAY EVENING.
LANDFALL OVER MOZAMBIQUE BY TUESDAY MORNING IS EXPECTED AT SEVERE
TROPICAL STORM STAGE. FURTHER INTENSIFICATION CANNOT BE RULED OUT,
BUT WILL DEPEND ON THE SPEED AT WHICH THE CONVECTIVE CORE
CONSOLIDATES. AS THE SYSTEM EMERGES SOUTH OF MOZAMBIQUE ON WEDNESDAY,
INTENSIFICATION COULD QUITE RAPIDLY RESUME DUE TO STRONG UPPER-LEVEL
DIVERGENCE ON THE EDGE OF A SUBTROPICAL TROUGH AND ON WATERS THAT
REMAIN WARM NORTH OF 30S. ON THURSDAY EVENING AND FRIDAY, INTERACTION
WITH A MID-LATITUDE JET AND COOLER WATERS SHOULD LEAD TO THE SYSTEM'S
EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION.
IMPACTS EXPECTED ON INHABITED LANDS OVER THE NEXT 72 HOURS:
MOZAMBIQUE:
- LANDFALL EXPECTED BETWEEN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE EXTREME SOUTH OF SOFALA PROVINCE AND INHAMBANE
PROVINCE.
- WINDS: GALE FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY TO ARRIVE FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON
OR EVENING, AND MAY LAST WELL AFTER LANDFALL ALONG THE COAST (STILL
UNCERTAIN, TO BE SPECIFIED DEPENDING ON THE TRACK MORE OR LESS
INLAND) AND UNTIL WEDNESDAY MIDDAY IN THE EXTREME SOUTH OF THE
COUNTRY. POSSIBLE STORM-FORCE WINDS ON TUESDAY MORNING NEAR THE AREA
OF LANDFALL.
- RAINFALL: 100-200 MM OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE, SOUTH OF
BEIRA AND NORTH OF MAPUTO, WITH MAXIMUM ACTIVITY OVER INHAMBANE
PROVINCE.
- WAVES OF 4 TO 6 M FROM MONDAY NOON UNTIL TUESDAY EVENING.
ESWATINI AND EXTREME EASTERN SOUTH AFRICA : HEAVY RAINFALL IS
POSSIBLE, BUT HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE SYSTEM'S FINAL TRACK. ACCORDING
TO THE CURRENT RSMC FORECAST, RAINFALL TOTALS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW 100
MM, BUT THIS WILL NEED TO BE CONFIRMED.=