TC RENE (TC 15P) Update 6 (16 Feb)

Cyclone RENE still strong, but won’t last long!

Unfavorable environmental conditions, especially cooler sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content, will bring an end to RENE as a tropical cyclone over open water in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Tropical Cyclone RENE – GOES  IR Satellite image (JSL2 enhancement) – Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

Background:

• Cyclone RENE Continues to Pummel Tonga Islands
• RENE Headed Toward Tonga
• RENE Heading West
• RENE Hovering Near PAGO-PAGO
• Slow Forward Motion May Help RENE to Strengthen

Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details

• Date/Time: 16 February 2010 –  01:00 UTC
• Position:  Near 24ºS, 177ºW
• Sustained Movement: 225  degrees
  
• Forward speed: 24 km/hr (~ 13 kt)
• Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking  SOUTHWEST over the past 6 hours.
  

Current Wind Distribution:

• Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 120km (~ 60 kt)
• Maximum Gusts:  ~ 150 km/hr (~ 110 kt)
• RENE is now a Cat. 1 Hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale.
• Unfavorable environmental conditions, especially cooler sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content will bring an end to RENE as a tropical cyclone over open water in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Wave Height and Location:

• Maximum significant wave height: ~ 8m (24 ft)
  
• Location: TC RENE was located about 780 km (~ 420 NM) Southeast of  NADI, FIJI.
  
• Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others

Additional Satellite Imagery

NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)

• Visible  Image – Java – Flash
• IR AVN  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Shortwave  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Dvorak*  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Unenhanced  Image – Java – Flash
• IR JSL  Image – Java – Flash
• IR RGB  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Funktop  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Rainbow  Image – Java – Flash
• Water Vapor  Image – Java – Flash

See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal

Related Links:

• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 5 (15 Feb)
• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 4 (14 Feb)
• Cyclone RENE Update 3 (13 Feb)

• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 2 (13 Feb)
• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 1 (12 Feb)
• Introducing Tropical Cyclone Fifteen (Cyclone RENE)
• FEWW Satellite Imagery Links Page