Central American gyre

just before formation on June 2, 2020.|alt=Annotated satellite image of Central America and the surrounding waters The prevailing winds across the tropical eastern Pacific and Atlantic tend to blow from the east. However, the emergence of northwesterly winds over Central America can lead to the development of a CAG as the climatological wind pattern is interrputed. This interruption of the climatological trade winds tends to occur more frequently during certain phases of the Madden–Julian oscillation when storms are more abundant over Central America. Most CAGs exhibit a barotropic structure, occurring in tandem with an anticyclone in the upper-troposphere atop the gyre. This class of CAGs is associated with enhanced moisture and precipitation around the center of the gyre. Less frequently, a CAG may exhibit a baroclinic structure and occur in tandem with a trough in the upper-troposphere. The regions of anomalous moisture and precipitation associated with these CAGs are concentrated east of the gyre's center. == Influence on tropical cyclogenesis ==

CAGs consist of smaller vortices that rotate about the broader gyre. This occurs about once every other year on average, Tropical cyclogenesis typically occurs on the northeastern periphery of the gyre, with the resulting tropical cyclone tracking counterclockwise along with the flow about the gyre. In May and June 2020, a CAG contributed to the formation of Tropical storms Amanda and Cristobal in the eastern Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. The complex weather patterns associated with CAGs presents difficulties for weather models to predict tropical cyclone formation. The Global Forecast System operated by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction tends to erroneously depict the development of tropical cyclones in the western Caribbean in part due to the complexities associated with CAGs. == References ==