System 97L's Chances Just Improved, Tropically Speaking

The National Hurricane Center noted in its afternoon update today, July 21 that the showers and thunderstorms associated with System 97L that has been soaking Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands appears to be coming together better for tropical cyclone development.

Showers and thunderstorms associated with System 97L, a vigorous tropical wave currently extend from the northern Leeward Islands westward to Hispaniola.

On July 20 at 18:11 UTC NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument detected strong convection east of the center of System 97L, with high thunderstorm cloud tops as cold as -63 Fahrenheit. The National Hurricane Center noted "Although the system does not yet have a closed circulation satellite imagery suggests that a surface low pressure area is becoming better defined just north of the eastern tip of Hispaniola."

Because environmental conditions are expected to be favorable for development, the National Hurricane Center has noted that System 97L now has a high chance for development into a tropical depression.