User:Jake52/Sandbox/1968 Pacific hurricane season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| First storm formed: | June 20, 1968 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 28, 1968 |
| Strongest storm: | Fernanda, Joanne, Liza, Naomi, Pauline, Rebecca - 85 mph (136 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 18 (Disputed) |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 0 |
| Total damage: | Not Available |
| Total fatalities: | 4-5 direct |
| Pacific hurricane seasons 1925-1949, 1950-1969, 1968, 1969, 1970 |
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The 1968 Pacific hurricane season was an ongoing event in meteorology. It officially started on May 15, 1969 in the eastern Pacific and lasted until November 30, 1969. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Notable storms this season include Tropical Storms Annette and Hyacinth and Hurricanes Naomi and Pauline. All four of these storms made landfall, but only Naomi and Pauline had any reported effect. Naomi caused moderate damage when it made landfall in Mexico. Pauline caused light damage in Mexico and was reported to have sunk a ship called the Tiare, killing all four or five people aboard.
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[edit] Storms
Eighteen storms formed this season with six reaching hurricane strength and none reaching Category 3 or higher. There is a dispute involving the number of named storms this season, as one system was monitored as a tropical storm but left out of the best track data for this year.
[edit] Tropical Storm Annette
A Norwegian ship called the Kollfinn off the coast of Mexico sent a message stating "Tropical storm at 17.0°N, 101.0°W. Bad weather here", but it wasn't until another ship called the James Lykes reported south-southwest winds of 50 mph on June 20 that the storm was named. Along with the windspeed, the James Lykes recorded loose organization. Annette's time was short lived, as it moved onshore and dissipated near Manzanillo the next day. No damages were reported.
The satellite that was orbitting over Annette never took a picture with the storm in view and was usually at the edge. A computerized model showed a spiral vortex with a center over land, which was not helpful because ship reports noted that the surface circulation was 50 miles away, over water.
[edit] Tropical Storm Bonny
Bonny was the first of a large group of tropical cyclones that developed from ITCZ disturbances this season. Late on July 3, a low pressure center in the ITCZ rapidly intensified, becoming a tropical storm on July 4. The newly named storm tracked west-northwest for 24 hours before turning to the north on July 5 into July 6. As a result, winds of 60 mph were felt on Socorro Island, which was an estimated 50 miles to the east-northeast of the storm center.
At this time, satellites revealed that cooler water, stratus inflow, and warm, moist air were starting to take their toll on Bonny. The storm began a slow dissipation, which began with reports of 55 mph winds on July 6, and, by the time a ship in the area reported the status of the weakening storm, the system had already dropped to depression strength with 30 mph winds. The storm dissipated on July 9.
[edit] Tropical Storm Celeste
The disturbance that became Celeste was first noticed on July 13. The disturbance slowly intensified, becoming a tropical depression on July 14 and reaching storm strength on the next day. Initially, the intensity when the system became named was estimated at 70 mph, but post-season analysis revealed that the storm was 50 mph at the first advisory at storm strength. This difference in intensity was blamed on brightness issues on the photo taken by satellite, making the storm look more powerful than it really was. The storm never strengthened past the 50 mph peak it had reached when it became a storm. The storm would continue uneventfully until July 17, when the storm was estimated to be at its strongest. Despite the strength, stratus inflow was starting to become entrained in the circulation and, shortly after peaking, the storm began weakening after the cirrus cap got detached. The weakening Celeste became less discernable in recon reports, but the cloud vortex was still well defined. On July 20, the storm dropped into a depression and dissipated 24 hours afterward.
[edit] Tropical Storm Diana
While Celeste was weakening, a tropical disturbance associated with the ITCZ first appeared on July 19. After Celeste lost its tropical identity on July 21, the depression had strengthened enough to be upgraded to tropical storm strength and given the name "Diana". The banding in the center of the upgraded system was obscured by heavy cirrus outflow. The initial intensity set was 60 mph.
The Anco Swan, a ship north of the storm, indicated that Diana had reached peak intensity around this time and was sustained for two days. Then, cool inflow began getting caught in the storm, resulting in weakening. The storm degenerated into a depression on July 24 and continued moving westward. The depression finally dissipated on July 26, well away from land.
[edit] Tropical Storm Estelle
Estelle was a tropical storm that spent most of its life as a depression as a result of a southward shift in trade winds and the ITCZ, which provoked an early weakening and prevented reintensification. It was also the first of four named storms to cross into the Central Pacific basin. The storm originated in a disturbance associated with the ITCZ. The disturbance had become a tropical depression on July 23 and reached storm strength the next day. The new tropical storm would last at that intensity for only 30 hours, when it weakened back to a depression. The weakened Estelle continued westward, passing into the Central Pacific around July 31. The group that oversaw the Central Pacific issued the depression's final advisory on August 1.
[edit] Hurricane Fernanda
The trade winds that had resulted in the weakening of Estelle in late July had decreased in early August, allowing a weak disturbance in the ITCZ to organize near Acapulco. By August 5, the disturbance had developed a vortex and advisories were started on the newly formed depression. The depression would continue to strengthen and, after acquiring significant cirrus outflow, was upgraded to tropical storm intensity on August 6. Fernanda continued to develop, despite the proximity of Tropical Storm Gwen, which was 450 miles to the east-northeast of the center. On August 8, the storm had developed an eye in a tightly wound spiral overcast
(CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS)
