TROPICAL STORM TOMAS DISCUSSION NUMBER 23
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL212010
500 PM EDT WED NOV 03 2010

AFTER STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ITS IDENTITY THIS MORNING...TOMAS HAS
RE-ORGANIZED DURING THE AFTERNOON. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE
HUNTER AIRCRAFT HAS FOUND A BETTER-DEFINED CIRCULATION THAN WAS
PRESENT DURING THE PREVIOUS AIRCRAFT MISSION...ALTHOUGH THE LIGHT
AND VARIABLE WIND CENTER IS STILL RATHER LARGE. THE PLANE FOUND
FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS OF 48 KT BELOW 1500 FT AND ESTIMATED SURFACE
WINDS NEAR 40 KT FROM THE SFMR ABOUT 45 N MI EAST OF THE MEAN
CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 1003 MB. BASED ON THESE
DATA...TOMAS IS UPGRADED TO A 40-KT TROPICAL STORM.