NASA satellites indicate wind shear taking toll on Oscar

Satellite data is showing that northwesterly wind shear is taking a toll on Tropical Storm Oscar in the central Atlantic and it is expected to dissipate the storm late on Oct. 5, 2012.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Oscar on Oct. 4 at 1335 UTC (9:35 a.m. EDT) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a true-color image of the storm. The imagery showed bulk of Oscar's clouds and showers were southeast of the center of circulation as a result of wind shear.

On Oct. 5 at 5 a.m. EDT, Oscar's maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph (85 kph), and wind shear is expected to batter Oscar into oblivion over the next day. Oscar was 1,085 miles (1,745 km) west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, near latitude 23.0 north and longitude 38.9 west. Oscar is moving toward the northeast near 15 mph (24 kph) and is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 997 millibars.

Oscar's low-level center continued to be exposed on Oct. 5 and is northwest of the bulk of showers and thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects Oscar will be absorbed by an approaching cold front later on Oct. 5. NHC noted "strong southerly gale-force winds are expected to continue ahead of the cold front after Oscar dissipates."