Enfrentando condiciones adversas para concretar una Depresión tropical, sin embargo el CNH le asigna 90% de probabilidad de CT.Todas las tormentas se han ubicado del lado Este y Sur del centro, dado que enfrenta altisimos niveles de cizalladura (entre 40 y 50kt) al Norte y Oeste, por lo que del lado del Caribe las tormentas han sido pocas y todas se han formado sobre las Antillas Menores:Cizalladura asociada a fuerte circulación ciclónica en niveles medios y altos ubicada al Sur de República Dominicana y muy próxima al centro de la INV98L, bajo dichas condiciones no concretará circulación cerrada en superficie:La baja presión en altura está desprendiendo una vaguada en capas altas, la cual afecta la región occidental de Venezuela:Sin embargo la baja presión en niveles medios y altos (Axul) se desplaza al Oeste, la INV98L (rojo) al Norte, por lo que se irá librando de la influencia negativa de las condiciones en altura y tendrá mejores condiciones apra formar un ciclón. Ahora debe tener una onda tropical enganchada aún o podría desprenderla, e inclusive un fugaz frente o una vaguada en superficie al Sur. Veremos.Animación
000WTNT42 KNHC 160244TCDAT2HURRICANE RAFAEL DISCUSSION NUMBER 14NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL1720121100 PM AST MON OCT 15 2012AFTER CHANGING LITTLE THIS AFTERNOON...RAFAEL HAS UNDERGONE ASIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING EPISODE THIS EVENING. FLIGHT-LEVEL...SFMR...AND DROPSONDE OBSERVATIONS FROM BOTH NOAA AND AIR FORCEHURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM WINDS HAVEINCREASED TO ABOUT 75 KT. THE HURRICANE HAS BEEN PRODUCING VERYVIGOROUS CONVECTION AS EVIDENCED BY ENHANCED INFRARED IMAGERY...ANDREPORTS FROM THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS OF SEVERE TURBULENCENEAR THE CORE. RAFAEL CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT WELL-DEFINED UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW OVER THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF ITSCIRCULATION...EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL SHEAR. SOME ADDITIONAL SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE ONTUESDAY...AS INDICATED IN THE OFFICIAL FORECAST. THE SHEAR ISFORECAST TO INCREASE TO AROUND 35 KT IN 24 HOURS...AND THIS...ALONGWITH COOLING SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES...SHOULD CAUSE WEAKENING TOCOMMENCE BY WEDNESDAY. THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY FORECAST IS CLOSE TOTHE LGEM AND INTENSITY MODEL CONSENSUS GUIDANCE. A STRONG COLDFRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH RAFAEL IN ABOUT 48 HOURS...AND THECYCLONE IS LIKELY TO LOSE ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS SHORTLYTHEREAFTER.THE HURRICANE IS MOVING NORTHWARD...OR ABOUT 010/10. THE TRACKFORECAST PHILOSOPHY IS ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUSADVISORY PACKAGE. A LARGE MID-TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH IS APPROACHINGRAFAEL...AND THE FLOW ON THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHERN SIDE OF THISTROUGH SHOULD CAUSE THE HURRICANE TO TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ANDACCELERATE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THEREAFTER...POST-TROPICALRAFAEL IS EXPECTED TO TURN EAST-NORTHEASTWARD TO EASTWARD WITHINTHE MID-LATITUDE WESTERLIES. NEAR THE END OF THE FORECASTPERIOD...THE CYCLONE IS FORECAST TO SLOW DOWN OVER THE NORTHEASTATLANTIC AS IT INTERACTS WITH...AND ABSORBS...ANOTHER LARGEEXTRATROPICAL LOW OVER THAT REGION. THE OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST ISSIMILAR TO THE ONE FROM THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY...AND CLOSE TO THEMULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS.FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDSINIT 16/0300Z 25.1N 65.5W 75 KT 85 MPH 12H 16/1200Z 27.6N 64.7W 80 KT 90 MPH 24H 17/0000Z 31.6N 62.8W 80 KT 90 MPH 36H 17/1200Z 36.4N 59.4W 75 KT 85 MPH 48H 18/0000Z 41.2N 54.0W 65 KT 75 MPH 72H 19/0000Z 48.0N 37.0W 55 KT 65 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP 96H 20/0000Z 48.5N 26.5W 50 KT 60 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP120H 21/0000Z 49.5N 26.0W 50 KT 60 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP$$FORECASTER PASCH