DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1530Z May 20, 2008
Gulf of Mexico/Florida: An area of haze extends from the Bay of Campeche northeastward across the south central Gulf of Mexico and the central portion of the Florida peninsula to the northern Bahamas. This region of haze is believed to be mainly smoke from the large number of seasonal fires continuing to burn across portions of southeastern Mexico and Central America. The smoke becomes at least moderately dense farther to the south in the Bay of Campeche and over the Yucatan Peninsula. Dense smoke resides even farther to the southeast of there over the northeastern portion of Central America. Smoke from the ongoing fires across southern Florida was not visible this morning in satellite imagery. The hot spots associated with the fires in satellite imagery do not appear as intense as in recent days. Cloudiness has also developed over the area during the late morning which may be hindering detection of any smoke which is present. JS