RINA HAS A SOMEWHAT RAGGED APPEARANCE THIS MORNING. THE EYE IS NOT
APPARENT IN VISIBLE IMAGERY...AND DATA FROM THE RADARS AT BELIZE
CITY AND ON THE TRMM SATELLITE SUGGEST THE EYEWALL HAS LOST SOME
DEFINITION. WHILE THE EYEWALL CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES ARE COLDER
THAN -80C...THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CYCLONE HAS DECREASED DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. IN
ADDITION...THE OUTFLOW HAS DIMINISHED SINCE YESTERDAY...AND
ANALYSES FROM CIMSS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SUGGEST 15-20 KT
OF SOUTHERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS KEPT AT
95 KT FOR THIS ADVISORY...BUT THIS COULD BE GENEROUS AND IT IS
QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT ABOUT TO
REACH THE STORM WILL FIND RINA HAS WEAKENED.

THE RECENT CENTER FIXES INDICATE THAT RINA HAS TURNED TOWARD THE
RIGHT DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS WITH THE INITIAL MOTION NOW
290/4.

SINCE THE OUTFLOW IS LESS IMPRESSIVE THAN 24 HOURS AGO AND THE SHEAR
IS FORECAST TO INCREASE FURTHER...IT APPEARS THAT RINA HAS RUN OUT
OF TIME TO INTENSIFY. THE INTENSITY FORECAST NOW CALLS FOR THE
HURRICANE TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS...WITH A
FASTER WEAKENING AT 36-48 HOURS DUE TO LAND INTERACTION.

Hurricane Rina is no longer forecast to become a Major Hurricane. Projections are for Rina to start weakening today. The latest available data shows Hurricane Rina carrying maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour, which is just one mile per hour shy of a Category Three. The hurricane is now 180 miles East North East of Belize City, which technically is above Belize City on the latitude scale.