000 WTPA41 PHFO 310832 TCDCP1 TROPICAL STORM LANA DISCUSSION NUMBER 4 NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI EP062009 ISSUED BY NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1100 PM HST THU JUL 30 2009 LANE HAS DEVELOPED A CENTRAL CONVECTIVE FEATURE THIS EVENING...WITH 03Z SSM/IS DATA SUGGESTING GOOD CONVECTIVE BANDING NEAR THE CENTER. SINCE THEN...THE CONVECTIVE TOPS HAVE WARMED SOMEWHAT. AMSU INTENSITY ESTIMATES NEAR 03Z WERE 50-60 KT...WHILE QUIKSCAT DATA NEAR 04Z SHOWED 40-45 KT WINDS NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. THE SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES ARE 45 KT FROM TAFB AND 55 KT FROM SAB. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS THE ROUGH AVERAGE OF THESE VALUES...50 KT. THE INITIAL MOTION IS 285/17. A LOW/MID-LEVEL RIDGE LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF LANA SHOULD PROVIDE THE STEERING DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS A LARGE UPPER-LEVEL LOW SEEN IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY MOVES WESTWARD FROM THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE TRACK GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THIS PATTERN SHOULD STEER LANA GENERALLY WESTWARD TO WEST- NORTHWESTWARD SOUTH OF HAWAII THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. OVERALL...THE GUIDANCE IS TIGHTLY CLUSTERED EXCEPT FOR THE OUTLYING BAMD AND BAMM...WHICH FORECAST LANA TO MOVE NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH OR NEAR THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE HAS AGAIN SHIFTED A LITTLE TO THE NORTH...SO THE NEW TRACK WILL BE NUDGED A LITTLE NORTH OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. THE NEW TRACK IS ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE IN BEST AGREEMENT WITH THE GFS AND GFDL MODELS. LANA IS CURRENTLY IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF LIGHT SOUTHERLY WIND SHEAR WITH FAIR TO GOOD CIRRUS OUTFLOW. THE LARGE-SCALE MODELS FORECAST THAT LANA WILL GRADUALLY MOVE CLOSER TO THE STRONG SOUTHERLY AND SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW...WHICH SHOULD CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AFTER 24-36 HR. THE INTENSITY GUIDANCE CALLS FOR THE STORM TO REACH A PEAK INTENSITY OF 60-65 KT BEFORE THE SHEAR INCREASES...AND THE NEW INTENSITY FORECAST CALLS FOR A 65 KT PEAK INTENSITY IN 24 HR IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. AFTER THAT...LANA SHOULD STEADILY WEAKEN DUE TO THE SHEAR. THE UKMET AND ECMWF MODELS SHOW VERY STRONG SHEAR BY 72 HR...AND IF THEY ARE CORRECT LANA COULD WEAKEN FASTER THEN CURRENTLY FORECAST. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 31/0900Z 13.3N 144.6W 50 KT 12HR VT 31/1800Z 13.6N 147.0W 60 KT 24HR VT 01/0600Z 14.1N 149.8W 65 KT 36HR VT 01/1800Z 14.6N 152.7W 65 KT 48HR VT 02/0600Z 15.1N 155.5W 60 KT 72HR VT 03/0600Z 16.0N 161.0W 45 KT 96HR VT 04/0600Z 17.0N 166.5W 30 KT 120HR VT 05/0600Z 17.5N 172.0W 25 KT...REMNANT LOW $$ FORECASTER BEVEN