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Tropical Depression Neki nulled by cool waters and wind shear

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28.10.2009

2 satellites see a dissipating cyclone

Two ingredients that don't mix well with tropical cyclones are waters cooler than 80 degrees Fahrenheit and wind shear. Those two ingredients were added into Tropical Depression Neki's mix late yesterday, and caused Neki to dissipate.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-11 captured a look at Neki's remnants this morning, October 27 at 8 a.m. EDT. Neki appeared as an ill-defined, elongated swirl of low clouds. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) noted that Neki "Appears to be just a surface trough in satellite imagery."

Last night, October 26 at 5 p.m. HST (11 p.m. EDT) the Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued their final advisory on Neki. At that time, Neki was a depression with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. Neki's last location was 450 miles north of French Frigate Shoals, or 665 miles north-northwest of Lihue, Hawaii, near 30.3 North and 164.9 West. The depression had a minimum central pressure of 1010 millibars and was speeding north-northeast near 36 mph!

NASA's Aqua satellite AIRS instrument captured an infrared image of Neki's clouds on October 26 at 8:35 a.m. EDT. Neki appeared as a round area of clouds on infrared imagery, was devoid of any strong convection.

The CPHC said that "Decreasing sea surface temperatures along [Neki's northeastern] track and increasing vertical [wind] shear should prevent redevelopment as a tropical cyclone."

Rob Gutro | Source: EurekAlert!
Further information: www.nasa.gov

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