[Index]
Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary August 2008
[Summaries and Track Data] [Prepared by Gary Padgett]
| Tropical
Cyclones
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Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary August 2008 [Summaries and Track Data] [Prepared by Gary Padgett] |
MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY
AUGUST, 2008
First Installment
(For general comments about the nature of these summaries, as well as
information on how to download the tabular cyclone track files, see
the Author's Note at the end of this summary.)
NOTE: The August summary is being disseminated in two installments.
The first covers the Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, and North Indian
Ocean basins. The second installment will cover the Northwest Pacific
basin.
*************************************************************************
AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS
--> Long-lived tropical storm makes landfall four times in Florida while
dumping prodigious amounts of rainfall
--> Hurricane strikes Haiti--later strikes Cuba as Category 4 hurricane
--> Rare Central Pacific tropical storm forms
--> Two tropical cyclones affect Philippines and southern China
*************************************************************************
WIKIPEDIA TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS
Short reports with satellite pictures and small-scale maps for all
tropical cyclones may be found at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Atlantic_hurricane_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Pacific_hurricane_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Pacific_typhoon_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_North_Indian_cyclone_season>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008-09_Southern_Hemisphere_tropical_cyclone_season>
For some storms more detailed reports have been prepared. In those cases
I will include the specific links in the reports for the applicable
tropical cyclones.
*************************************************************************
ACTIVITY BY BASINS
ATLANTIC (ATL) - North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico
Activity for August: 2 tropical storms
1 hurricane **
1 intense hurricane
** - System actually reached hurricane intensity on 1 September
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below was obtained from the
various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida:
discussions, public advisories, forecast/advisories, tropical weather
outlooks, special tropical disturbance statements, etc. Some
additional information may have been gleaned from the monthly
summaries prepared by the hurricane specialists and available on
TPC/NHC's website. All references to sustained winds imply a
1-minute averaging period unless otherwise noted.
Atlantic Tropical Activity for August
-------------------------------------
Tropical cyclone activity across the Atlantic basin during August was
near average. Four named storms formed, with two reaching hurricane
intensity (although one of these didn't become a hurricane until the
first day of September). One hurricane, Gustav, became the season's
most intense hurricane, peaking at 130 kts on the 31st. On the average,
during August three tropical storms develop with two reaching hurricane
status. All of the tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States,
and all except Edouard made multiple landfalls on various Caribbean
islands. Following are some reports on the cyclones based on the monthly
summary for August prepared by the Hurricane Specialists at TPC/NHC.
The official storm reports for some of the individual cyclones are
already available on TPC/NHC's website at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2008atlan.shtml>
TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD
(TC-05)
3 - 7 August
------------------------------------------
Edouard was a short-lived tropical storm that formed as a depression
in the Gulf of Mexico about 75 nm southeast of the mouth of the
Mississippi River on 3 August. TD-05 moved slowly westward to west-
northwestward and strengthened into a tropical storm later that day with
the intensity reaching 45 kts early on 4 August. Edouard weakened
slightly but re-strengthened late on 4 August as it approached the upper
Texas Coast. Edouard made landfall around 1200 UTC (7 AM CDT) on
5 August between High Island and Sabine Pass, at the McFaddin National
Wildlife Refuge, with the MSW estimated at 55 kts. The tropical storm
moved inland and weakened to a depression late on 5 August before
dissipating over northwest Texas late on the 6th.
The effects of Edouard were relatively minimal. Some minor coastal
flood damage was reported in Terrebonne Parish, LA, as Edouard passed
through the northern Gulf of Mexico. Little damage was reported in
Texas, mostly limited to flooding in a small number of homes. Rainfall
amounts to near 6 inches (152 mm) were reported with the maximum
occurring in Baytown, Texas. Some roadways were briefly under water.
Fortunately, there were no deaths reported in association with Tropical
Storm Edouard.
The online Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Edouard may be accessed
at the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Edouard_(2008)>
HPC's report on Edouard with rainfall graphics may be found at the
following link:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/edouard2008.html>
TROPICAL STORM FAY
(TC-06)
15 - 28 August
--------------------------------------
Fay was a long-lived and slow-moving tropical storm that spent most
of its life centered near or over land, dumping heavy rains that produced
damaging and deadly floods over portions of the Greater Antilles and
Florida. Originating from a tropical wave, Fay formed on 15 August as a
tropical storm with maximum winds of about 35 kts as it crossed the
eastern coast of Hispaniola. Its strength changed little as it traversed
that island and the Windward Passage the following day. The storm gained
a little strength with the MSW reaching 45 kts on 17 August as its center
passed just offshore of the southern coast of eastern Cuba. Responding
to a break in a subtropical ridge over Florida, Fay turned north-
northwestward over central Cuba the next day. Maximum winds increased
to about 50 kts as the storm moved into the Florida Straits with the
center of the cyclone passing over the lower Florida Keys late on the
18th.
Fay turned northeastward on 19 August, making landfall early that day
on the southwestern coast of the Florida Peninsula at Cape Romano with
maximum winds of 50 kts. After moving inland, in a rare feat for a
tropical cyclone, Fay strengthened, exhibiting what resembled a classical
eye in radar and satellite imagery. The storm reached its peak intensity
of 55 kts as it passed over the western shores of Lake Okeechobee. By
way of contrast, during 20-23 August continued interaction with the
landmass of northern Florida prevented strengthening, and Fay's maximum
winds remained 45-50 kts during most of that period. Fay moved into the
Atlantic off the northeastern coast of Florida on 20 August with the
center drifting slowly northward. On the 21st the storm turned westward
and moved back inland over northeastern Florida. Fay's winds weakened
to 40 kts while traversing the northern part of the peninsula, but
briefly picked back up to 45 kts on 23 August as the center moved out
over Apalachee Bay.
After a few hours over water, Fay made its fourth (and unprecedented)
landfall in Florida near Carrabelle in the Panhandle. Under the
influence of a high-pressure ridge over the eastern United States, Fay
headed slowly west-northwestward over the Florida Panhandle, finally
weakening to a depression early on 24 August. Fay remained a depression
for the next couple of days as it moved slowly over the Southeast, and
eventually degenerated into a remnant LOW over northern Alabama on the
26th.
Due to Fay's very slow motion, storm-total rainfall amounts in some
areas were staggering, including a few locations in east-central Florida
that received more than two feet (610 mm) of rain. Fay's rain-induced
floods caused significant damage and were responsible for numerous
deaths in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Florida. The Wikipedia
report indicates 25 direct and 11 indirect fatalities resulting from the
cyclone. Total U. S. damage from Fay is unknown, but preliminary
estimates from some individual counties indicate a damage total of at
least US$180 million.
The online Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Fay may be accessed at
the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Fay_(2008)>
HPC's report on Fay with rainfall graphics may be found at the
following link:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/fay2008.html>
HURRICANE GUSTAV
(TC-07)
25 August - 4 September
-------------------------------------------
Gustav was an intense hurricane originating from a tropical wave that
emerged from the West Coast of Africa on 14 August. The wave first
showed signs of organization on 18 August; however, development did not
begin in earnest until the system was over the southeastern Caribbean Sea
on 24 August. A tropical depression formed on 25 August about 225 nm
southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. TD-07 strengthened rapidly as it
moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm later that day. Gustav
became a hurricane early on 26 August and made landfall later that day
on the southwestern peninsula of Haiti as an upper end Category 1
hurricane with 80-kt winds. The cyclone weakened to a tropical storm
early on the 27th and moved slowly westward just north of Haiti's
southwestern peninsula that day. Gustav turned to the west-southwest
early on 28 August, then resumed a westerly motion later that day and
moved over Jamaica as a tropical storm.
On 29 August Gustav turned northwestward and re-intensified into a
hurricane as it approached the Cayman Islands. The cyclone passed
through the Caymans early on the 30th as a Category 1 hurricane, and
then rapidly intensified into an intense hurricane later that day.
Gustav made landfall in the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio near Punta
Carragua late on the 30th as a strong Category 4 hurricane with the MSW
near 130 kts. Gustav emerged into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico early
on 31 August at Category 3 levels and accelerated northwestward across
the central Gulf. The storm made its final landfall near Cocodrie, LA,
on 1 September as a 95-kt Category 2 hurricane. Following landfall,
Gustav weakened to a depression over northwestern Louisiana on the 2nd,
then became extratropical over the mid-Mississippi Valley on the 4th.
Gustav's remnant LOW was absorbed over the central Great Lakes on
5 September.
Gustav left behind a long trail of death and destruction. Major wind
and storm surge damage occurred during Gustav's landfall in Cuba while
heavy rains in Haiti caused destructive mudslides. Strong winds, high
storm surge and heavy rains also caused damage in Louisiana. The
Wikipedia report on Gustav lists the total death toll at 101 with 37
indirect fatalities. The total damage from the storm is estimated at
US$4.3 billion in the U. S. with additional damages of up to US$3 billion
in Cuba. Forty-three deaths in the state of Louisiana were attributed
to Hurricane Gustav. The fatality estimate in the Caribbean region is
somewhat uncertain due to the subsequent effects of Hurricanes Hanna and
Ike on the same areas affected by Gustav.
The online Wikipedia report on Hurricane Gustav may be accessed at
the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gustav>
HPC's report on Gustav with rainfall graphics may be found at the
following link:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/gustav2008.html>
HURRICANE HANNA
(TC-08)
28 August - 12 September
--------------------------------------------
Hanna formed from a tropical wave that moved off the West Coast of
Africa on 19 August. Associated convective activity gradually increased
as the wave progressed westward across the Atlantic, and on 26 August the
wave spawned an area of low pressure about 475 nm east-northeast of the
Leeward Islands. Additional development during the next couple of days
led to the formation of a tropical depression about 300 nm east-northeast
of the northern Leeward Islands on 28 August. Six hours later the system
was upgraded to Tropical Storm Hanna. Hanna moved between west-northwest
and northwest over the next several days, passing a couple hundred miles
north of the Leewards and Puerto Rico. Persistent vertical wind shear
from an upper-level LOW to the west of Hanna kept the storm from
significantly strengthening. The cyclone reached an intensity of 50 kts
early on the 31st but weakened to 40 kts later in the day.
As September dawned, Hanna was located about 130 nm north of Grand
Turk Island. The storm began moving southwestward and quickly
strengthened, reaching hurricane status during the afternoon of
1 September. Hanna reached a peak intensity of 70 kts as its center
passed over portions of the Caicos Islands the next day. Strong shear
caused the hurricane to weaken later that day as it continued to move
very slowly southward. Over the next day or so Hanna weakened to
tropical storm status and made a counter-clockwise loop between the
Turks and Caicos Islands and the northern coast of Hispaniola. Hanna
then moved north of the Turks and Caicos late on 3 September and began
moving northwestward, passing just east of the central Bahamas on the
4th. On 5 September the cyclone moved just east of the northwestern
Bahamas and then turned northward, passing about 130 nm off the coast
of northeastern Florida.
Hanna then accelerated northward and made landfall with 60-kt winds
during the early morning hours of 6 September near the border of North
and South Carolina. The cyclone weakened but remained a tropical storm
as it passed over North Carolina and eastern Virginia. Hanna then
turned northeastward and moved along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. The storm
made another landfall over Long Island and exited the coast of
Massachusetts early on 7 September. After moving into the Atlantic,
Hanna quickly lost tropical characteristics. The extratropical remnants
of Hanna moved across southeastern Canada, then turned eastward and
moved over the North Atlantic during the next several days. The LOW
passed just west of Ireland on 10 September, then turned northward and
moved into Iceland on the 12th before dissipating later that day.
Preliminary reports indicate that Hanna was responsible for very
heavy rainfall in Haiti that resulted in around 530 fatalities (according
to the Wikipedia report). The hardest hit area was in and around the
city of Gonaives, which suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane
Jeanne in 2004. The were four deaths in the U. S., all due to drowning
in rip currents. Hanna produced minor damage from the eastern sections
of the Carolinas northward through eastern New England.
The online Wikipedia report on Hurricane Hanna may be accessed at
the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hanna_(2008)>
HPC's report on Hanna with rainfall graphics may be found at the
following link:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/hanna2008.html>
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST PACIFIC (NEP) - North Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 180
Activity for August: 3 tropical storms
1 intense hurricane
Sources of Information
----------------------
Most of the information presented below was obtained from the
various tropical cyclone products issued by the Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center (TPC/NHC) in Miami, Florida (or the
Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, for
locations west of longitude 140W): discussions, public advisories,
forecast/advisories, tropical weather outlooks, special tropical
disturbance statements, etc. Some additional information may have
been gleaned from the monthly summaries prepared by the hurricane
specialists and available on TPC/NHC's website. All references to
sustained winds imply a 1-minute averaging period unless otherwise
noted.
Northeast Pacific Tropical Activity for August
----------------------------------------------
Tropical cyclone activity during August was below normal. Three
tropical storms formed with one reaching hurricane intensity. The
lone hurricane, Hernan, did reach intense hurricane status. The averages
for August (1971-2007) are four tropical storms, two hurricanes, and
one intense hurricane. In addition to the storms forming east of 140W,
one tropical storm formed in the Central North Pacific region, which is
the warning responsibility of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)
in Honolulu, Hawaii. The following reports are based largely upon the
monthly summaries prepared by the staffs of TPC/NHC and CPHC.
The official storm reports for some of the individual cyclones are
already available on TPC/NHC's website at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2008epac.shtml>
HURRICANE HERNAN
(TC-09E)
6 - 13 August
------------------------------------
Hernan developed from a tropical wave that departed the West Coast of
Africa on 24 July and entered the Eastern North Pacific on 2 August.
The wave spawned a broad area of low pressure about 520 nm south of
Manzanillo, Mexico, on 5 August. Late the next day, the LOW became a
tropical depression about 610 nm south of the southern tip of the Baja
California Peninsula. TD-09E strengthened into a tropical storm six
hours later. Hernan initially moved west-northwestward while gradually
strengthening over the open waters of the Eastern Pacific. On the 8th
of August Hernan turned westward and reached hurricane intensity about
760 nm southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Over the next day or so, Hernan
moved west-northwestward and became the first intense hurricane of the
2008 Eastern Pacific season. The cyclone reached a peak intensity of
105 kts at 1800 UTC 9 August. Shortly thereafter, Hernan moved over
cooler SSTs which initiated weakening, and the system weakened into a
tropical storm on the 11th. Hernan turned westward to west-southwestward
and the associated thunderstorm activity diminished the next day. The
storm degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area early on 13 August
while located about 1435 nm west-southwest of Baja California. The
remnant LOW continued moving west-southwestward and eventually dissipated
about 390 nm southeast of the Hawaiian Islands on 16 August.
No casualties or damage are known to have resulted from Hurricane
Hernan.
The online Wikipedia report on Hurricane Hernan may be accessed at
the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hernan_(2008)>
TROPICAL STORM KIKA
(TC-01C)
7 - 12 August
---------------------------------------
The first tropical cyclone to develop over the Central North Pacific
since Hurricane Ioke in 2006 occurred in August, 2008. The system which
eventually became Tropical Depression 01C was first noted when it was a
weak disturbance along an east-to-west-oriented surface trough that
extended east of longitude 140W. This weak disturbance was first
identified by forecasters at CPHC early on the morning of 4 August near
10N/136W. The disturbance moved westward at about 13 kts during the
next two days and was designated Tropical Depression 01C by CPHC on the
afternoon of 6 August when it was located about 740 nm southeast of Hilo,
Hawaii. Six hours later, TD-01C was upgraded to a tropical storm and
assigned the name Kika.
Tropical Storm Kika was a relatively small tropical cyclone that moved
westward at about 13 kts south of a subtropical ridge. Kika never
strengthened beyond minimal tropical storm intensity even though the
environment surrounding the storm appeared to be somewhat favorable for
some slight intensification. The SSTs were around 27 C along its path,
which was generally along latitude 10N. Vertical wind shear in the
vicinity of the tropical cyclone was estimated to be about 9-13 kts from
the east. On the morning of 8 August, the first visible images showed
that the low-level circulation center of Kika had become separated from
the deep convection. As a result, Kika was downgraded to a tropical
depression. The weakening was temporary, and Kika was upgraded to
tropical storm intensity again by the evening of 8 August. Analyses
from UW/CIMSS indicated that the vertical wind shear was 9 kts or less
at this time.
Tropical Storm Kika, which traveled westward at 9-13 kts during the
next couple of days, was moving over 26.5-27.0 C SSTs. Kika eventually
weakened again and was downgraded to a tropical depression on the
afternoon of 10 August when it was located about 760 nm south-southwest
of Honolulu. The depression continued to weaken and the final advisory
for Kika was issued by CPHC during the evening of 11 August. The
remnants of former Tropical Depression Kika crossed the Dateline into
the Northwest Pacific basin late on 13 August.
There are no reports of damage of casualties resulting from Tropical
Storm Kika.
The online Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Kika may be accessed
at the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Kika_(2008)>
TROPICAL STORM ISELLE
(TC-10E)
13 - 17 August
-----------------------------------------
Iselle was a relatively short-lived tropical storm that did not pose
any threat to land areas in the Northeast Pacific basin. Iselle
developed on 13 August about 180 nm south-southwest of Manzanillo and
became a tropical storm six hours later. However, strong upper-level
winds inhibited strengthening throughout Iselle's lifetime, and the
cyclone peaked early on 15 August with 45-kt winds when it was located
about 310 nm south of the southern tip of Baja California. Continuing
westward beneath hostile upper-level easterly shear conditions, Iselle
weakened to a tropical depression on the 16th, and degenerated into a
non-convective remnant low-pressure system later that day about 305 nm
south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. The remnant
LOW continued slowly westward for the next two days before turning
sharply southwestward on 19 August. The LOW dissipated three days later
on the 22nd about 1045 nm southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
No damage or casualties resulting from Tropical Storm Iselle have
been reported.
TROPICAL STORM JULIO
(TC-11E)
23 - 26 August
----------------------------------------
Julio formed about 325 nm south-southeast of the southern tip of the
Baja California Peninsula on 23 August. The tropical depression quickly
intensified into a tropical storm and moved northwestward to north-
northwestward. Julio reached its peak intensity of 45 kts on 24 August
as its center neared Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Later that day the storm
made landfall near the Cabo, thence moving along the southern and central
Baja California Peninsula over the next day or so while very slowly
losing strength. However, the cyclone produced locally heavy rainfall
across the Baja California Peninsula. Julio weakened to a tropical
depression early on 26 August and dissipated over the Gulf of California
later that day.
There are no reports of casualties or significant damage resulting
from Tropical Storm Julio.
The online Wikipedia report on Tropical Storm Julio may be accessed
at the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Julio_(2008)>
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST PACIFIC (NWP) - North Pacific Ocean West of Longitude 180
Activity for August: 3 tropical depressions **
3 tropical storms ++
1 typhoon
** - one of these treated as a tropical depression by JMA only
++ - one of these treated as a tropical storm by JMA only
NOTE!!! The Northwest Pacific basin will be covered in the second
installment of the August summary.
*************************************************************************
NORTH INDIAN OCEAN (NIO) - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea
Activity for August: 1 depression
North Indian Ocean Tropical Activity for August
-----------------------------------------------
IMD elevated one system to depression status during August. A low-
pressure area formed on 8 August off the Orissa and West Bengal coasts.
By 1200 UTC on 9 August it had concentrated into a depression near
Puri (20.0N/86.0E). The center had actually moved inland by the time
that the LOW was classified as a depression. The system moved north-
westward and by 10/1200 UTC was over northern interior Orissa near
Keonjhar. Late on the 10th it weakened into a well-marked low-pressure
area and subsequently dissipated. According to the Wikipedia report,
the system was designated as a land depression in the end of monsoon
season report.
*************************************************************************
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN (SWI) - South Indian Ocean West of Longitude 90E
Activity for August: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA/SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN (AUW) - From 90E to 135E
Activity for August: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA/CORAL SEA (AUE) - From 135E to 160E
Activity for August: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
SOUTH PACIFIC (SPA) - South Pacific Ocean East of Longitude 160E
Activity for August: No tropical cyclones
*************************************************************************
SPECIAL FEATURE - SOURCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION
The purpose of this section is to list some websites where many and
varied types of tropical cyclone information are archived. Many readers
will know about these already, but for the benefit of those who don't,
I wanted to include them.
(1) Aircraft Reconnaissance Information
---------------------------------------
Various types of messages from reconnaissance aircraft may be
retrieved from the following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/products/nhc/recon/>
Information regarding how to interpret the coded reconnaissance
messages may be found at the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/reconlist.shtml>
Links are also included to websites with further information about the
U. S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the NOAA Air-
craft Operations Center.
(2) Archived Advisories
-----------------------
All the advisory products (public advisories, forecast/advisories,
strike probabilities, discussions, various graphics) issued by TPC/NHC
are archived on TPC's website. For the current year (using 2004 as an
example), the archived products can be found at:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/index.shtml>
Links to tropical products archives for earlier years are available at
the following URL:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml>
JTWC warnings for past storms are archived on the NRL Monterrey website:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html>
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen.
I am not aware at the moment of any other TCWC which archives all
its tropical cyclone warning/advisory products for public access, but
if I learn of any, I will add them to this list.
(3) Satellite Imagery
---------------------
Satellite images of tropical cyclones in various sensor bands are
available on the NRL Monterrey and University of Wisconsin websites,
courtesy of Jeff Hawkins and Chris Velden and their associates. The
links are:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html>
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/tropic.html>
On the NRL site, the link to past years can be found in the upper left
corner of the screen. For the CIMSS site, a link to data archives is
located in the lower left portion of the screen.
Additional tropical satellite imagery, along with looping ability for
composite microwave imagery for the Western Hemisphere north of the
equator, can be found at:
(1) For the Eastern North Pacific:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-epac.html>
(2) For the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html>
(4) Cyclone Tracking Information
--------------------------------
There is a U. S. Navy site that tracks tropical cyclones at 6-hourly
intervals which often includes pre and post-advisory positions. The
link to the site is:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/atcf_web/doc_archives/>
Steve Young has compiled many of these tracks onto a single webpage
which is very user-friendly:
http://home.earthlink.net/~shy9/tc1.htm>
I'm sure there are other sites with available imagery available, and
as I learn of them, I will add the links to this list.
*************************************************************************
EXTRA FEATURE
In order to shorten the amount of typing in preparing the narrative
material, I have been in the habit of freely using abbreviations and
acronyms. I have tried to define most of these with the first usage
in a given summary, but I may have missed one now and then. Most of
these are probably understood by a majority of readers but perhaps a
few aren't clear to some. To remedy this I developed a Glossary of
Abbreviations and Acronyms which I first included in the August, 1998
summary. I don't normally include the Glossary in most months in
order to help keep them from being too long. If anyone would like to
receive a copy of the Glossary, please e-mail me and I'll be happy
to send them a copy.
*************************************************************************
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This summary should be considered a very preliminary
overview of the tropical cyclones that occur in each month. The cyclone
tracks (provided separately) will generally be based upon operational
warnings issued by the various tropical cyclone warning centers. The
information contained therein may differ somewhat from the tracking and
intensity information obtained from a "best-track" file which is based
on a detailed post-seasonal analysis of all available data. Information
on where to find official "best-track" files from the various warning
centers will be passed along from time to time.
The track files are not being sent via e-mail. They can be retrieved
from the archive sites listed below. (Note: I do have a limited e-mail
distribution list for the track files. If anyone wishes to receive
these via e-mail, please send me a message.)
Both the summaries and the track files are standard text files
created in DOS editor. Download to disk and use a viewer such as
Notepad or DOS editor to view the files.
The first summary in this series covered the month of October,
1997. Back issues can be obtained from the following websites
(courtesy of Michael Bath, Michael V. Padua, Michael Pitt, and
Chris Landsea):
http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/>
http://www.typhoon2000.ph>
http://mpittweather.com>
ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/pub/landsea/padgett/>
Another website where much information about tropical cyclones may
be found is the website for the UK Meteorological Office. Their site
contains a lot of statistical information about tropical cyclones
globally on a monthly basis. The URL is:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/tropicalcyclone>
TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTS AVAILABLE
JTWC now has available on its website the Annual Tropical Cyclone
Report (ATCR) for 2007 (2006-2007 season for the Southern Hemisphere).
ATCRs for earlier years are available also.
The URL is: http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc.php>
Also, TPC/NHC has available on its webpage nice "technicolor"
tracking charts for the 2007 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific
tropical cyclones; also, storm reports for all the 2007 Atlantic
and Eastern North Pacific cyclones are now available, as well as
track charts and reports on storms from earlier years.
The URL is: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov>
A special thanks to Michael Bath of McLeans Ridges, New South Wales,
Australia, for assisting me with proofreading the summaries.
PREPARED BY
Gary Padgett
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 334-222-5327
Kevin Boyle (Northwest Pacific)
E-mail: [email protected]
*************************************************************************
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Document: summ0808a.htm
Updated: 20th December 2008 |
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