Oil and gasoline refinery fire in the city of Cataño, October 23, 2009

 Weather Scenario
Late Thursday night, the winds were light from the east through the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

TJSJ RAOB 22 Oct 2009 at 8PM AST

By early Friday morning, the winds were calm at the surface allowing the plume to rise vertically for about 500 feet.  Beyond this, winds were out of the southeast, taking the plume away from land and over the water.

TJSJ RAOB 23 Oct 2009 at 8 AM AST

By later Friday morning into the early afternoon, the winds showed a definitive shift to the south-southeast from the boundary layer to the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

TJSJ RAOB 23 Oct 2009 at 2 PM AST

 This wind setup remained the same for most of the morning of the initial explosion, so the reach of the plume has extended outward for many miles.  These satellite imagery loops show the plume coverage on Friday:

3.9u Satellite Image

  

The following image is a one minute interval loop for the TSJU Terminal Doppler radar, located in Toa Baja, PR, from around 1 am through 2 am early Friday morning...morning of explosion.

 

 The following image is a 12  loop for the TJUA  Doppler radar, located in Cayey, PR, from around Midnight through Noon Friday...includes time of explosion.

 

 The fire was finally extinquished on Sunday October 25, 2009.

 

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