Tropical Storm Omeka

[Somerset Squall]

Invest 98C has finally been recognised as a fully tropical storm as it crossed the dateline back from the West Pacific to the Central Pacific, several hundred miles northwest of Hawaii. Initial intensity is 45kts, but Omeka could have been a lot stronger yesterday in the West Pacific, evidenced from a well defined eye in a central dense overcast. Omeka is suffering from a blast of strong shear at present, which has deteriorated the storm's satellite appearance considerably. The eye has gone and the LLC is partially exposed from the sheared convection. Omeka is set to head northwards from it's already very high lattitude into cooler waters and further strong shear, which will cause this extremely unusual tropical storm to dissipate.

[Somerset Squall]

An article on the rare Omeka:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2010/h2010_Omeka.html

[Somerset Squall]

Colder water and continued high shear have forced Omeka to become extratropical. Intensity is 35kts. the extratropical remnant of Omeka will continue to move northeastwards and slowly weaken.