southern pacific Tropical cyclone Mike

[Vorticity0123]

A new tropical cyclone has formed in the Southern Pacific. The cyclone has been named Mike by Fiji Meteorological Service.

 

Mike consists of a small area of deep convection, with some poorly defined banding features to its east and northeast. Of note is that the convection north of the cyclone is also more or less associated with Mike.

 

Satellite image of Mike.

 

The cyclone is currently moving rapidly southward, and will reach cooler waters very soon. Therefore, Mike is not forecast to strengthen much. The track forecast from JTWC can be seen below:

 

Of a side note: Mike developed at a somewhat unusual longitude (far to the east). Though it is not exceptional, it is not a very common occurence for cyclones to develop that far to the east in the southern hemisphere.

 

Sources:

http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/

http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/65648.html

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/20P/20P_floater.html

[Somerset Squall]

Yeah, he certainly is far out, around 750 miles east-southeast of American Samoa!

[knocker]

Nifty graphic.

 

Satellite Sees Newborn So. Pacific Tropical Storm Mike

NOAA's GOES-West satellite caught the birth of Tropical Storm Mike in the Southern Pacific Ocean on March 19. Mike's formation has generated warnings for the Southern Cook Islands.

 

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/mike-southwestern-pacific-ocean/#.UynRxs6cSpA

[tropicbreeze]

At 20.5 S that's quite a long way south. Doesn't bode well for its future.

[Somerset Squall]

Indeed Tropicbreeze, looks already well on the way to being extratropical. JTWC's 2nd warning was their final one.