Danny maintains Tropical Storm status, strengthens this morning

Tropical Storm Danny, now located at 15.8 North and 60.5 West, is hanging onto that status by a thread with maximum sustained winds at 40 mph and a central pressure of 1007 millibars, which is actually stronger than he was last night.  Danny’s satellite and water vapor profiles diminished greatly earlier yesterday afternoon but a cluster of deep convection has once again reformed as it did last night, but this convection is not located at the center of circulation which remains partly exposed at this time but due to strong thunderstorms, the hurricane hunter aircraft was unable to get a good fix on the center of Danny.  So it is possible that Danny could be even stronger than these numbers indicate.

Danny continues to have problems with mid level dry air in the region, but the amount of dry air is beginning to diminish as well as sources of moisture, from Venezuela and a trough of low pressure near Bermuda, continue to stream into the area.  The Saharan Air Layer is now very far from its source region and is cut off from additional dry air to the East.

Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, while Tropical Storm Watches are still active for St. Maarten and Islands of Saba and St. Eustatius.  The Tropical Storm watches for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and the U.S Virgin Islands have been discontinued.

Forecaster Robert Millette