Hello to all..

The Atlantic Tropics continue to be active. Tropical Depression #3 formed during the midday hours Saturday and has already become Tropical Storm Bill as of the evening advisory. Bill is expected to intensify into a hurricane but remain largely over the open waters of the Atlantic, approaching but staying just east of the northern Leeward islands in 120 hours. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Bill.

Tropical Storm Ana has maintained its intensity and is expected to slowly intensify. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius with interests in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico being requested to monitor the progress of Ana. At this time, the latest intensity guidance brings Ana to near but just below hurricane strength with Ana possibly scraping portions of Hispaniolia in about 72 hours as a tropical storm. The track and intensity of Ana remains somewhat uncertain and the VoIP Hurricane Net management team continues to closely monitor Ana’s progress.

A third wave near the Florida Keys and the Southeast Gulf of mexico has had some increase in thunderstorm acitivity but has a low chance (30% or less) of development. This system will also be monitored.

Updates on Ana and Bill and the tropics will be done on the Saturday Evening (in North America) weekly VoIP Hurricane Prep Net at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/6 PM MT/5 PM PT which is also 0000 UTC/GMT Sunday. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

The first Atlantic Tropical Storm of the season has formed. TD #2 is now Tropical Storm Ana. Ana’s current track and intensity forecast brings her through portions of the Leeward Islands and potentially affecting Puerto Rico as a tropical storm between Monday and Tuesday. A Tropical Storm Watch may be required for the Leeward Islands later today. Ana will then be moving into the Bahamas region some time between Tuesday and Wednesday with the possibility of some impact on Florida by late Wednesday into Thursday. The current intensity forecast keeps Ana a tropical storm during the entire period but there is potential for Ana to become a hurricane in the mid to latter portions of the forecast period. Also, please note that forecasts 3-5 days out have a wide track variance and could change significantly. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will monitor this system closely.

In addition, a large tropical wave in the Central-Eastern Atlantic is becoming better organized and could become Tropical Depression #3. This system will be over the open Atlantic for the next several days. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor this system as well.

The Atlantic Tropics are becoming more active. Anyone along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of the US and in Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the Caribbean islands should be monitoring the tropics closely and preparing their plans to protect their home and family and be prepared to relay reports if one of these tropical systems affect your area. Further updates will be posted as needed. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

Tropical Depression (TD) #2 has formed in the Far Eastern Atlantic. TD #2 is expected to gradually intensify and become the first named tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. If that occurs, it will be named Ana. TD #2 is currently projected to track over the open Atlantic waters for the next 5 day/120 hour time period. The latest advisories on TD #2 can be seen off of the main menu on the VoIP Hurricane Net web site at http://www.voipwx.net and can also be seen at the National Hurricane Center web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of TD #2. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

Felicia continues to weaken and is a minimal tropical storm as of this update. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the big island of Hawaii and for all of Maui County including the islands of Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai. Tropical Storm Warnings could be issued for part of this watch area later today. Other parts of Hawaiian islands including Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau may require a Tropical Storm Watch later today.

At this time, Felicia is expected to weaken to tropical storm strength and the projected intensity of Felicia is to be either a tropical depression or tropical storm when it reaches the Hawaiian islands. Felicia’s impacts will be felt late Monday Hawaiian time or about 0600-0800 UTC Tuesday in full force with outer rain bands or increased moisure starting up earlier in the day Monday. VoIP Hurricane Net activation appears unlikely at this time as Felicia is expected to be a tropical depression or weak tropical storm but this will continued to be monitored due to the complexities that can occur with intensity forecasting of tropical systems. The latest advisory information from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) on Felicia can be found under the main menu of the voipwx.net web site under Pacific Tropical Products. Also, links to those products are provided below: 

Felicia Public Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/hi/latest.wtpa32.PHFO.html 

Felicia Forecast Discussion:
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Hello to all…

In the Atlantic, it is amazing how things can change in just 12-14 hours. At 8 PM, the Tropical Weather Outlook for the Atlantic had no systems being monitored. That has changed and the latest Tropical Weather Outlook has the National Hurricane Center monitoring a low pressure and tropical wave between the Cape Verde Islands and the coast Africa showing signs of orgnaization and could become a tropical depression over the next couple of days. There is a ‘medium chance’ 30-50% of this occcuring with squally weather possible over the Cape Verde Islands over the next couple of days. If this system forms, it would be the second tropical depression of this young 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We would have several days to monitor the system as it traverses the open waters of the Atlantic.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will closely monitor the progress of this system. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!
73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

Hurricane Felicia is about to enter the Central Pacific Ocean and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) area of responsibility. The CPHC is co-located with the NWS Honolulu Hawaii Forecast Office. Felicia is expected to have some level of impact on the big island of Hawaii. Its impact, at this time, is expected to be the impact of a weak tropical storm or tropical depression, however, our knowledge of intensity of tropical systems is limited so Felicia needs to be monitored carefully given its path toward the Hawaiian islands in case she maintains hurricane intensity.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Felicia. If Felicia manages to maintain hurricane strength as it approaches the Hawaiian islands, the VoIP Hurricane Net will activate and make contact with Hams in the state of Hawaii through IRLP and Echolink. An update on Felicia will be given on the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net this evening as reconnaisance aircraft will be intercepting Felicia later today.

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

The April 2009 Net Australia Bushfire Prep Net presentation recording done by Tony Langdon-VK3JED has now been uploaded to the VoIPWXnet web site. The recording and the presentation is available in the VoIP WX Net Presentations archive link off the Main Menu of the web site and have been provided as links below as well:

VoIP Hurricane Net Recording (Approximately 4-Meg in Size): http://www.voipwx.net/files/April_2009_Presentation_Black_Saturday-20090405.mp3

VoIP Hurricane Net Australian Bushfires Power Point Presentation: http://www.voipwx.net/files/Black_Saturday.ppt

VoIP Hurricane Prep Net Training Presentations Archive: http://www.voipwx.net/node/217

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.

Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Prep Net will now be on weekly on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference server node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system as Hurricane Season started on June 1st, 2009. For this week, there will be no training presentation. It is hoped to have a training presentation on the next 1-2 nets and those presentations will be announced ahead of time on the email list and on the web site.

A reminder notice has been put in the VoIPWXNet Yahoogroups calendar. Please note that the calendar has its limitations as far as time zones. The weekly net will take place every Sunday at 0000 UTC which is Saturday Evening at 8 PM EDT/7 PM CDT/6 PM MDT/5 PM PDT across portions of North America.

We are hoping for a quiet 2009 Hurricane Season but will be prepared for any activity the new season brings. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all….

Today marks the official start to the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The National Hurricane Center will now begin regular issuances of its Tropical Weather Outlook now that the Atlantic Season has begun. The first Tropical Weather Outlook for the Atlantic Season for 2009 is listed below and includes the 2009 Season Names as well as the listing of products the National Hurricane Center will issue for tropical systems in 2009 and a quick note on the NHC’s 2009 seasonal forecast. See the outlook below:

000
ABNT20 KNHC 011134
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 AM EDT MON JUN 1 2009

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC…CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO…

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

TODAY MARKS THE FIRST DAY OF THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON…WHICH WILL RUN UNTIL NOVEMBER 30.  LONG-TERM ANNUAL AVERAGES OF TROPICAL STORMS…HURRICANES…AND MAJOR HURRICANES IN THIS BASIN ARE 11…6…AND 2…RESPECTIVELY.

THE LIST OF NAMES FOR 2009 IS AS FOLLOWS:

NAME          PRONUNCIATION     NAME          PRONUNCIATION
————————————————————–
ANA           AH- NAH           LARRY
BILL                            MINDY
CLAUDETTE     CLAW DET-         NICHOLAS      NIK- O LAS
DANNY                           ODETTE        O DET-
ERIKA         ERR- REE KA       PETER
FRED                            ROSE
GRACE                           SAM
HENRI         AHN REE-          TERESA        TE REE- SA
IDA                             VICTOR        VIC- TER
JOAQUIN       WAH KEEN-         WANDA
KATE

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Hello to all…

On Monday Evening 6/1/09 from 7-9 PM EDT, there will be the Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Exercise. The New England Reflector system Echolink Conference *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123/IRLP 9123 will be tied together with the Echolink Conference *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for this exercise. WX4NHC will be active in support of the statewide exercise and we’ve asked some of our net controls to send in reports from the exercise using our reporting form.

Folks are welcome to listen into the exercise this evening. We are hoping for a good test of the capabilities within the state of Massachusetts to prepare for the 2009 Hurricane Season which starts today.

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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