Over the past 12 to 18 hours Frances hasn't exactly looked the best. Outflow from the storm was confined mainly to the northern half. Sheer had
been taking its toll on the storm and the winds had come down from 135mph to 120mph and from the NHC reports the 120mph observations may have been
generous.
Over the past 4 to 6 hours Frances seems to be undergoing a transformation. There is now good outflow visible in all quadrants and there has been a
burst of very heavy convection on the south side of the storm that seems to be wrapping itself into the center. The storm is also moving into a
more favorable environment with less sheer and warmer waters. We may be seeing the beginning of a spike in strength. Look for a jump up in sustained
winds and a sharp drop in pressure over the next 12 to 24 hours or so.
Here is a comparison of the storm from 08-29-2004 16Z and 08-30-2004 15Z
www.climatepatrol.com...
Here is a visible and IR closeup of the storm near Puerto Rico. Impressive images.
www.climatepatrol.com...
Here is an item of concern from the 08-30-2004 11am AST discussion from the National Hurricane Center
"ONE CONCERN IS THAT THE GFDL MODEL
FORECAST TRACK HAS GENERALLY BEEN SHIFTING MORE WESTWARD WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE RUN."
Definately something to watch.