Last seasons Atlantic Hurricane Review

[Cookie]

The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season is now over. A far less active season then 2008. Which isn't a bad thing for residents of the USA to get a quieter season after the damage caused in 2008.

In total their was 3 hurricanes: Bill Fred and IDA and 6 named Storms Ana, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Grace and Henri.

The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was below average in activity, with a total of nine named storms and three hurricanes. For the first time since 2006, no storm brought hurricane force winds to the United States, and only four storms made landfall anywhere at tropical storm force. The lack of activity was due to the appearance of El Niño during the summer, causing strong wind shear which inhibited the development of storms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Atlantic_hurricane_season

Tropical Storm Ana 15/8 – 17/8

Ana was the first named storm of the season and one of 3 named storms that formed over the same weekend.

Ana reached a peak intensity of 40 mph and dissipated by the 16 Aug

Hurricane Bill 15/8 – 24/8

Bill became the first hurricane of the 2009 season on the 17 Aug and by 18th Aug it was a major hurricane. Winds

Bill slowly fell apart over next several days. It lost tropical characteristics after making landfall on Newfoundland as a weakening tropical storm on August 24. The extratropical storm then raced eastward in the Atlantic, in open waters of the North Atlantic, later affecting the United Kingdom.Waves up the East Coast killed two people, coming close enough to warrant tropical cyclone watches and warnings in both the US and Canada.

Tropical Storm Claudette 16/8 – 17/8

Claudette was the 3rd and final named system to form over the weekend of the 15th and 16th Aug. had a peak intensity of 50 mph

Claudette developed quickly into a tropical storm after earlier been given a 30% chance of forming into a tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm warnings for the coastline and residents in some counties were advised to evacuate storm-surge-prone areas. One fatality resulted from rough seas off the coast of Panama City, Florida. Later that day, another man drowned after falling off his ship near Bay County.

Tropical Storm Danny 26/8 – 29/8

Danny was another quite short lived tropical storm forming from a tropical wave. Danny had a peak intensity of 60 mph

Tropical Storm Erika 1/9 – 4/9

Erika was the 2nd named storm of the year after Danny to skip tropical depression statutes, Erika peaked at 50 mph

Damage were minor, though one island received several inches of rain.

Hurricane Fred 7/9 – 12/9

Fred for me was certainly was the curve ball for the 2009 season, it strengthened in favorable conditions from a hurricane into a cat 2 hurricane in under 6 hrs. This system certainly caught me by surprise. Fred peaked at 120 mph

and from our own somerset squall

This has got to be the weirdest storm I have ever tracked. Firstly, Fred was the strongest documented storm this far south and east. Now, all remains is an exposed but well defined LLC, right in the deep tropics, which is an unusual sight. The fact that this system has gone to cat 3 and then turned around and weakened just as fast, all so far east, is very odd. Net motion for Fred has been very slow- but get this- he has been drifting east-southeastwards back TOWARDS the Cape Verde Islands. I have never seen or can see a track back on archives that even remotely resembles this one! Very interesting indeed.

Fred rapidly intensified through the evening and into the early morning hours, becoming a Category 2 hurricane just six hours after becoming a hurricane. It continued to strengthen into a second major hurricane that morning, becoming the strongest storm ever recorded so far south and east in the Atlantic basin in the satellite era, and only the third major hurricane on record east of 35°W.

Tropical Storm Grace 5/10 – 6/10

Grace was another very short lived tropical storm and very oddly located storm as well. grace peaked at 60 mph

Tropical Storm Grace formed just northeast of the Azores on October 4 out of a previously non-tropical storm. It is the farthest-northeast-forming tropical storm in the Atlantic in the satellite era, breaking Vince's record from 2005.[23] It moved rapidly northwards, reaching peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) early on October 5 and was absorbed by a frontal system on October 6, while less than 100 miles from the southwestern coast of Ireland.

Tropical Storm Henri 6/10 – 8/10

another very short lived tropical storm Henri battled against cool waters and high shear.

Henri peaked at 50 mph

Hurricane Ida 4/11 – 10/11

The last named storm of the official 2009 hurricane season and the last hurricane of the 2009 season. many people had written off any more systems forming, let alone another hurricane. Ida peaked at 105 mph

The hurricane strengthened further to a strong Category 1 of 90 mph (150 km/h) early on November 8. Around noon that day, Ida strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph (165 km/h) winds. Ida then began to weaken and made landfall as a tropical storm two days later at Bon Secour on Mobile Bay, Alabama.

In total for the 2009 hurricane season not including tropical depressions

15 Aug - 10 November

9 named systems

135 mph max winds

943 mb lowest pressure

6 landfalls and 15 deaths

To some up then the Hurricane season 2009 was dominated by short lived tropical storms, due to hear shear and the effects from El Nino.

The season also threw up some surprises in hurricane Fred and IDA.

As well as 3 remnants of tropical storms hitting the uk in Bill Danny and Grace.

also want to say a big thanks to everyone who has posted in the hurricane section this season. Its been an enjoyable watch.

So that's the 2009 season all but wrapped up.

links below from where I got my information from for this review.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Atlantic_hurricane_season

http://www.makli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Hurricane-IDA.jpg

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2009.asp

Thanks for reading.

Edited December 3, 2009 by cookie

[Methuselah]

Thanks for that, Cookie. Interesting stuff!

[Cookie]

thanks mate, took over and 1hr to do

[Somerset Squall]

Cheers Cookie, that was an interesting summary and very well written too. Sums up the season very well- high shear and dry air limited the number of storms but there were still a couple of biggies. I reckon 2010 will be more active than this year, simply because I can't see a strong El Nino lasting till the beginning of the 2010 season.

Thanks for taking the time to do this

[Cookie]

No bother mate, and thanks for you're hard work this season. roll on 2010 be here before we know it

[kold weather]

Very nice collection of info there, thanks!

For me the highlight for the season was almost certainly Ida, to get an November hurricane getting upto category-2 is pretty impressive, but to do it with at the time was a rapidly strengthening El Nino really was a real impressive feat, and the simple facts are if it hadn't hit Central America, this would have almost certainly been a cat-3/4 hurricane as well...

Fred also was an interesting one to watch as was Ana with its several rebirths.

Overall whilst it was a slow season, it wasn't exceptionally slow, just below average. I suspect next year will be busier as well, not sure by how much just yet...

[onlyME]

Good review.A lot of storms were short-lived and had exposed centers.Congrats!