1985 Pacific hurricane season
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| First storm formed: | June 5, 1985 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 5, 1985 |
| Strongest storm: | Rick - 125 knots |
| Total storms: | 24 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 8 |
| Total damage: | unknown |
| Total fatalities: | perhaps 1? |
| Pacific hurricane seasons 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 |
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The 1985 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1985 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1985 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1985. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
The 1985 season was above average and extremely active, setting a record for number of storms. In fact, the season was so active that it threatened to exhaust the list, and thus X, Y, and Z names were added during the season. This season's record for number of storms was later broken by the 1992 season.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Typhoon Skip
Tropical Depression Two-C formed August 30 and crossed the dateline the next day. It strengthened into Typhoon Skip. It briefly threatened Wake Island before a tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) recurved Skip to the northeast. It then recrossed the date line as a rapidly transitioning tropical storm. Skip went extratropical September 8.
[edit] Hurricane Pauline
Hurricane Pauline caused heavy surf along the Big Island, which washed debris up onto roads. There was no damage reported. It threatened the islands enough to prompt a hurricane watch being issued, but the hurricane turned away.
[edit] Hurricane Rick
Rick was the strongest storm of the season, and at the time had the second strongest winds recorded in a tropical cyclone in the Central Pacific. It may also have contributed to the sailing vessel being overdue.
[edit] Hurricane Nele
A disturbance strengthened into Tropical Depression Three-C on October 23 and Tropical Storm Nele. It reached hurricane strength October 25. Due to weak steering currents, it moved slowly. It briefly threatened the major Hawaiian Islands before veering to the northwest and accelerating. It passed over the Northwestern Islands before becoming extratropical October 30 after recurving to the northeast. There was minor flooding due to heavy surf, and some fishing vessels were damaged, but no serious damage or casualties.
[edit] Hurricane Waldo
Tropical Depression Twenty Three-E formed from a disturbance on October 7. In a favourable environment over warm waters, It rapidly intensified, reaching Tropical Storm intensity the same day it formed. A trough started recurving Waldo towards the Mexican coast. Just after peaking as a Category 2 hurricane, Waldo made landfall southwest of Culiacán. Waldo rapidly dissipated over land.
No deaths were reported. Much farmland and 600 houses were destroyed.
[edit] Hurricane Xina
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| Xina 1985 satellite image and storm path | |
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The first recorded twenty-second storm of a season formed October 25. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Xina early October 27. Xina began to start tracing out a huge oblong loop beneath an anticyclone. Xina peaked as a minimal major hurricane on October 29. As it finished the loop and left the cover of the anticyclone, Xina started falling apart. Cool waters took their toll on the cyclone, and Xina dissipated on November 5.
Had the list of names not been extended, Xina would have been named "Alpha" instead. However, the anticipated exhaustion of the old list was averted, meaning that the east Pacific has never exhausted its list. Xina stayed at sea, and no casualties or damages were reported.
[edit] 1985 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the eastern Pacific in 1985. No names were retired, so it was used again in the 1991 season. The name "Dolores" was misspelled as "Delores" in 1991. This is the same list used for the 1979 season, except for the added names. Storms were named Kevin, Linda, Marty, Nora, Olaf, Pauline, Rick, Sandra, Terry, Vivian, Waldo, and Xina for the first time in 1985. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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Because of the level of activity, these names were added during the season:
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One name from the Central Pacific list was used - Nele. It was the first usage for this name. One storm, Typhoon Skip, passed into this basin from the west, keeping its west Pacific name.
Later during the 80's, the added names were made a permanent part of the Eastern Pacific lists, and other names were added for even-numbered years.
Had the names not been added, this season would have been the first Pacific or Atlantic hurricane season to exceed the list, and had to have used a Greek letter named storm. However, the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season did exceed its list making it the first. That season was so active, that had it been extended with three more names, it still would have exhausted the list, and still have been first with needing to use a Greek letter named storm.
[edit] See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- 1985 Atlantic hurricane season
- 1985 Pacific typhoon season
- 1984-85 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
- 1985-86 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
- 1985-1989 North Indian cyclone seasons
