Ida is now over 600 miles north of Belize City so everything looks great for the expedition. This morning at 9:00 am Belize time the temperature in San Pedro was 30 degrees and the forecast is for hot sun with cold drinks all around!!! :-)
Above: This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. EST shows a mass of clouds east of the Yucatan Peninsula associated with Tropical Storm Ida as it moves generally northward towards the Gulf of Mexico. This storm may become a threat to the Gulf Coast early next week. Clear skies are noted through the East as no precipitation is observed
Below: View of a ship grounded by Hurricane Ida in Corn Island, Nicaraguan Caribbean, November 5. Mexico's government issued a hurricane warning on Saturday as a strengthening tropical storm Ida bore down on the country's Yucatan peninsula.
Storm update: November 7th.
For an up to the minute picture go to:
http://www.stormpulse.com/fullscreen/current
Showers and thunderstorms have flared over the center of Ida after moving back over water Friday. This has led to a gradual intensification of the system overnight and early this morning.
As of 10 a.m. EST, Ida was moving to the north at 9 mph into the western Caribbean with top winds of 60 mph. Ida is located about 255 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.
Hurricane watches are now in effect for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula from Cabo Catoche to Tulum. In addition, tropical storm warnings are in effect from Punta Allen to San Felipe.
The government of Cuba has issued a tropical storm warning for the Province of Pinar Del Rio and a tropical storm watch for the Isle of Youth.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Grand Cayman Island.
The system is expected to slowly move toward the north-northwest in the direction of the Yucatan Channel and then into the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. Additional strengthening to a strong tropical storm or possibly a minimal hurricane is expected when Ida reaches its maximum intensity in the extreme northwest Caribbean.
Beyond the northwest Caribbean, Ida is likely to begin its slow demise in the Gulf of Mexico due to cooler water temperatures and increasing wind shear. Eventually, Ida is expected become non-tropical as it is absorbed by a frontal boundary.
Direct impacts from Ida this weekend will be confined to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. These locations can expect gusty winds and heavy rain over the next 48 hours.
Farther north, strong high pressure combined with lower pressure from Ida is creating a strong pressure gradient resulting in gusty winds across eastern Florida down into the Keys and the Gulf of Mexico.
High Surf and dangerous rip currents will persist for days and boaters and swimmers are urged to use extreme caution. If you are not a good swimmer you don't want to press your luck and take on the waves, you could lose your life. The persistent onshore wind flow could also result in some coastal flooding along the central and western Gulf Coast.
Over the next several days, waves of 6 to 10 feet are expected along Florida's eastern coast. East facing beaches in Texas will see surf of 5 to 9 feet. The western Florida Panhandle may eventually see the highest waves of 10 to 15 feet in about 3 to 5 days.
Moisture in the southwest Gulf of Mexico will move into the central Gulf Coast early next week. This combined with the eventual approach of Ida's moisture may result in some heavy rains and gusty winds for the central and eastern Gulf Coast Monday into Tuesday.
Mariners and residents of the northeast Gulf of Mexico should continue to monitor the progress of Ida as it heads slowly northward.
Stay tuned all weekend to The Weather Channel with frequent updates on Tropical Storm Ida with Tropical Expert Dr Steve Lyons and Weather.Com.
On average, about one tropical storm develops every two years during the month of November and every three years a hurricane develops. The southwest Caribbean is the most favored location for this to occur.
The last season with a named storm in November was 2008 when Paloma developed and impacted the Cayman Islands and Cuba.
Only six more sleeps until we are on our way. Hurricane Ida has been downgraded to a tropical depression but could still be a threat to the expedition. The storm which on Wednesday night was packing winds of up to 75 miles an hour is not yet a threat to Belize, but the projected path has it making its way to the northern tip of Corozal by Sunday evening and continuing up the coast towards Cancun, right along our bike route. Hopefully it will all be just a memory by the time we arrive.
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