PM Update: Tropical Storm Ana Depressed, Bill Burgeons, Claudette Continues

11 pm EDT Update: As of 11 pm, Ana was moving across the Leeward Islands with 35 mph winds, Bill had strengthened to just below hurricane force at 70 mph, and Claudette (50 mph) was about to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle from a position about 25 miles west of Panama City.

Original post:
Tropical Storm Ana has continued weakening this afternoon and is now a tropical depression with maximum winds of 35 mph as of 5 pm. Little change in intensity is expected in the next 24 hours, but it could degenerate further into a tropical wave tonight. Tropical Storm Watches are in effect, however, from the Dominican Republic eastward through much of the northeastern Caribbean Islands.

Satellite images show that Tropical Storm Bill has developed an impressive-looking structure, including a central dense overcast, banding, and upper-level outflow. It now has maximum winds of 65 mph. The models continue to forecast strengthening, and one of them has a 38% chance of a 30 kt. increase in wind speed in the next 24 hours. Several of them show Bill becoming a Category 4 hurricane within 5 days.

Tropical Storm Claudette continues approaching a likely landfall on the Florida Panhandle tonight. Winds remain at 50 mph, but some strengthening is still possible. The main threat from this storm is heavy rain, with amounts of 3-6" and isolated maximums of 10" expected. At 4 pm CDT, the storm was centered about 40 miles west-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida moving northwest at 14 mph.

Images (click to enlarge): Forecast tracks for Tropical Storms Bill (upper) and Claudette (middle) and combined 5-day probability of tropical storm force winds from National Hurricane Center

Tropical ABC's: Tropical Storm Claudette Joins Weaker Ana and Stronger Bill

An area of heavy thunderstorm activity in the eastern Gulf of Mexico became Tropical Depression 4 overnight, and it was declared Tropical Storm Claudette at 11:15 CDT based on radar observations. Aircraft reconnaissance subsequently indicated maximum winds have reached 50 mph with higher gusts, and some strengthening is possible before landfall on the northern Gulf Coast of Florida tonight. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Alabama/Florida border eastward to the Suwanee River in Florida. The storm is centered about 40 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida and is moving northwest at 14 mph.

Meanwhile, Ana has been found to be weakening. Aircraft measurements indicate that the storm is poorly organized, is barely a tropical storm, and could dissipate later today. Maximum winds are 40 mph. As a precaution, a Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and a number of other islands in the northeastern Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Bill, on the other hand, has strengthened this morning to maximum winds of 60 mph as it moves west-northwest at 16 mph from a position over 1500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Favorable environmental conditions in the form of light wind shear and warm water temperatures are expected to contribute to more strengthening, and Bill is forecast to become a hurricane within 24 hours, and a major hurricane in the next several days.

Images (click to enlarge): Forecast tracks for Tropical Storms Claudette (upper) and Bill (lower) from National Hurricane Center