DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z MAY 6, 2006.

Gulf of Mexico:
The tremendous number of fires burning across Mexico (especially the
Yucatan Peninsula) and Central America continues to produce a very large
mass of smoke which covers much of the region from the Bay of Campeche
northward to the western and central Gulf of Mexico. Some of the smoke
may have spread northward into or very close to southern and southeastern
Texas as well as extreme southern Louisiana. However, the thickest area
of smoke is mainly south of 26N.

Cuba/Florida:
A large fire over western Cuba were responsible for a narrow smoke plume
that extended to the northwest toward the central Gulf of Mexico. The
plume extended about 200 km from the source. An area of thin  remnant
smoke from fires in Cuba was also drifting north over the western Florida
Keys and toward the Fort Myers area.

Mexico:
A large fire near or in the Sierra Del Carmen range in northern Mexico was
emitting a moderately dense smoke plume about 60 km to the southeast. The
plume is all in Mexico.

JB/MR

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.