7:00 AM CDT ATLANTIC BASIN TROPICAL UPDATE, Sept. 7, 2004

[vbhoutex]

Tropical depression Frances continues her slow progress to the NNW over the Southeastern states this morning. She is currently located about 40 miles Southwest of Columbus, Georgia in Southeastern Alabama. She continues to drop copius rains and flooding could be a concern for all areas in her path. Stay alert to your local conditions and listen to local broadcasts for details of conditions in your area.

Hurricane Ivan has become better organized over night and is continuing Westward on his southern track around 18 mph. Perhaps the better orgainization is a product of the slowing of his forward speed. The center of Ivan was near latitude 11.6 north, longitude 59.4 west or about 110
miles, South of Barbados. This is also about 80 miles east-northeast of Tobago. Winds in Ivan have increased to 115 mph with gusts to 135mph once again making Ivan a Category 3 major hurricane.. Ivan has developed a 20 mi wide eye and the central pressure was measured at 963mb or 28.42". Hurricane warnings are in effect for St. Vincent, The Grenadines, Tobago, and Grenada and its' dependencies. Tropical storm warnings are in effect Barbados, Trinidad, Martinique, and St. Lucia. With Hurricane Ivan expected to turn to a more WNW course later today all interests in the Caribbean need to be monitoring his progress closely. Conditions near Ivan continue to be favorable for more development and he is expected to continue his slow strengthening. Guidance suggest that for the time being Ivan will continue on a West to West-Northwest course and could threaten Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba in about 3 days. After that it is less clear where Ivan could be steered so all interests in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Forida should be monitoring Ivan's progress.

A large tropical wave, located about 750 miles West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, accompanied by a surface low pressure, has become more organized overnight. With conditions ahead of this system favorable for more development as it moves West around 10-15 mph it is possible that this system may become a tropical depression in a few days.

Another well defined low pressure area about 850 miles Southwest of the Azores is slowly moving Eastward. Convection associated with this system has become more organized overnight and conditions in the area have improved for further development and a tropical depression may form later today. If it does become a depression it should be short lived as the disturbance is approaching cooler waters.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Basin no tropical stormdevelopment is expected through Wednesday.

This is not an official product. For official products and details of the weather in your area contact your local NWS office or the NHC.

by David Van Bergen(vbhoutex)