WDXS31 PGTW 202100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE 02S (BHEKI) WARNING NR 014// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 19.6S 59.7E INITIAL INTENSITY: 35 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 139 NM EAST-NORTHEAST OF PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD AT 13 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 15 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS TROPICAL CYCLONE 02S (BHEKI) WITH AN EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) AND SCARCE BURSTS OF CONVECTION WITHIN THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT 02S IS IN AN UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY WEAK POLEWARD OUTFLOW, HIGH (25-30 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, EXTENSIVE DRY AIR, AND COOL (25-26 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES. THE INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY ARE PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON A 201707Z ASCAT-B IMAGE SHOWING A LARGE SWATH OF 30 KNOT WINDS IN THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY, HEDGED 5 KTS HIGHER BASED ON THE SLIGHTLY LOW BIAS OF ASCAT. AGENCY DVORAK ESTIMATES SUGGEST A LOWER INTENSITY DUE TO THE LACK OF CONVECTION OVER THE SYSTEM. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: SCATTEROMETER DATA CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) TO THE EAST. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T1.5 - 25 KTS KNES: T2.0 - 30 KTS FIMP: T2.0 - 30 KTS CIMSS ADT: 25 KTS AT 201800Z CIMSS AIDT: 37 KTS AT 201800Z CIMSS DPRINT: 28 KTS AT 201800Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: UNFAVORABLE VWS: 25-30 KTS SST: 25-26 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: WEAK POLEWARD OTHER FACTORS: EXTENSIVE DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: HIGH INITIAL WIND RADII: HIGH 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: 02S IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TRACKING WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD, ALONG THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE STR TO THE EAST THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. 02S IS FORECAST TO MAINTAIN A 35 KNOT INTENSITY, OVERCOMING THE HIGH SHEAR AND LOW SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES, DUE TO A MOISTENING OF THE VORTEX OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS AS DEPICTED BY MULTIPLE MODELS. AFTER TAU 36, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL WORSEN AS THE MOISTURE DISAPPEARS AND DRY AIR FURTHER DEGRADES THE SYSTEM. AS A RESULT, 02S IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE SOUTHWEST OF LA REUNION ISLAND AROUND TAU 48. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT REGARDING THE TRACK OF 02S WITH A 72 NM CROSS-TRACK SPREAD AT TAU 48. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS IN WORSE AGREEMENT WITH MULTIPLE MODELS ACTUALLY INTENSIFYING THE SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS. IN PARTICULAR, COAMPS-TC SUGGESTS A 45 KNOT SYSTEM AT TAU 24. HAFS-A AND HWRF BOTH SUGGEST A 40 KNOT SYSTEM AT TAU 36. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS PLACED BELOW CONSENSUS DUE TO THE UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT EXPECTED TO HINDER THE CHANCES OF REINTENSIFICATION. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: HIGH INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN