By:
Dr. Jeff Masters,
3:23 PM GMT on November 26, 2006
A tropical disturbance
(95L) near 11N, 78W, just north of Panama, has continued to grow less organized. Wind shear has increased from 10 to 20 knots over the disturbance in the past 24 hours, which probably accounts for the storm's deterioration. There is now very little heavy thunderstorm activity, and this morning's
QuikSCAT satellite pass showed no surface circulation, and winds of barely 20 mph. The system is expected to drift slowly westward towards Nicaragua, and could bring heavy rains there later this week. None of the computer models are developing the system, and NHC has stopped running its preliminary set of models on it.
In the Western Pacific, the Philippine Islands are anxiously watching
Tropical Storm Durian, which is on track to hit the main island of Luzon later this week. Intensity forecasts have Durian developing into a Category 4 storm by landfall, which would make it the fourth major typhoon to hit Luzon in the past two monts.
I'll be back Monday morning with an update.
Jeff Masters