click on image for full disc image

TROPICAL STORM NEKI ADVISORY NUMBER 6
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI CP032009
500 PM HST MON OCT 19 2009

AT 500 PM HST…0300 UTC…A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR JOHNSTON ISLAND. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

ANYONE ON OR NEAR JOHNSTON ISLAND IS URGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF NEKI. A HURRICANE WARNING MAY BE ISSUED FOR JOHNSTON ISLAND LATE TONIGHT OR ON TUESDAY.

AT 500 PM HST…0300 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM NEKI WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 11.6 NORTH…LONGITUDE 161.0 WEST OR ABOUT 700 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF HONOLULU HAWAII AND ABOUT 670 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF JOHNSTON ISLAND.

NEKI IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. BEYOND 36 HOURS… NEKI IS FORECAST TO TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. NEKI IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND BECOME A HURRICANE WITHIN 36 TO 48 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1006 MB…29.71 INCHES.

…SUMMARY OF 500 PM HST INFORMATION…
LOCATION…11.6N 161.0W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…40 MPH
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NORTHWEST OR 310 DEGREES AT 17 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1006 MB

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 PM HST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 PM HST.

More info at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center

Central Pacific Infrared Images

Two NASA Satellites See Tropical Storm Neki Form in the Central Pacific

By Rob Gutro, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA's QuikScat instrument captured an inside look at Tropical Storm Neki's winds on Oct. 19 at 0425 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT). White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, are shown in purple, which indicate winds over 40 knots (46 mph). Credit: NASA JPL, Peter Falco

Tropical Storm Neki formed today about 830 miles southeast of Johnston Island in the Central Pacific Ocean. NASA’s QuikScat and Aqua satellites quickly captured and analyzed winds and temperatures in Neki, enabling forecasters to see the storm strengthening.

Today, October 19, at 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST) Neki had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, and was moving west-northwest near 14 mph. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 millibars. It was 825 miles south of Honolulu, Hawaii and about 830 miles southeast of Johnston Island near latitude 9.5 North and longitude 159.6 West. Neki is expected to shift slowly toward the northwest later tonight or Tuesday, at which time it is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane.

NASA’s QuikScat instrument captured an inside look at Tropical Storm Neki’s surface winds using microwave technology from its vantage point in space on Oct. 19 at 0425 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT). QuikScat showed highest wind speeds near 40 mph.

NASA’s Aqua satellite also flew above Neki and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured a visible, infrared and microwave image of the storm. The visible image showed a storm getting organized and developing the signature tropical storm shape. The infrared and microwave images confirmed some high thunderstorms, indicating some strong convection and a strengthening storm.

Neki is forecast to pass very close to Johnston Island on Wednesday, October 21 as a hurricane.