| Category 2 hurricane (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Douglas near peak intensity. | |
| Formed | July 20, 2002 |
| Dissipated | July 26, 2002 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 105 mph (165 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 970 mbar (hPa; 28.64 inHg) |
| Fatalities | No Deaths |
| Areas affected | None |
| Part of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Douglas was the fifth tropical depression and second hurricane of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season. Douglas originated from a westward-traveling tropical wave that moved across the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. After crossing into the Pacific Ocean, the wave spawned a small low-pressure system on July 20, 2002,[1] which matured into a tropical depression later that day. The depression soon intensified into a tropical storm, and received the name "Douglas" while continuing its westward track.[1] Two days later, it intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. Within four days, the cyclone weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and ultimately degenerated into a remnant low. Because the storm remained far out at sea, no damage was reported in association with Douglas. It dissipated during the morning of July 26, 2002.[1]
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Hurricane Douglas originated from a tropical wave that exited the west coast of Africa on July 8. It crossed the Atlantic and entered the Caribbean Sea. There, showers increased in association with the wave. Upper-tropospheric westerlies prevented the system from developing and the system crossed Central America on July 16. On the July 20, 2002, the strong thunderstorms became concentrated near the apparent center located 395 miles (636 km) south of Manzanillo, Mexico. It was estimated that the wave became Tropical Depression Five-E at 1200 UTC that day. The formation of the system coincided with relaxation of wind shear in the area.[1] At that time, the depression was near tropical storm strength. A gradual strengthening was predicted until 72 hours when the storm was to be near cool waters and should therefore, weaken. The storm was expected to peak as a very strong tropical storm with winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).[2]
At the next advisory, the storm strengthened into a tropical storm and was named "Douglas".[1] The wind radii at the time was more to the south of the center which was in the northern part of the deep convection.[3] During the night of the 20th, Douglas was first expected to become a hurricane. The forecast stated that Douglas was to be a hurricane only briefly.[4] As the hurricane rapidly intensified, Douglas was upgraded to a hurricane late on July 21, 2002.[5]
The hurricane was in a low wind shear environment for the next few days. The only thing preventing Douglas's continued intensification was that it was expected to reach cold waters in 36 hours.[6] As predicted, the storm became a Category 2 hurricane later that morning.[7] Even at this point, Douglas was not predicted to become a major hurricane and Douglas reached its peak intensity of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) late that night, making it a moderate Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.[7] Douglas held this intensity for 18 hours as it traveled westward.[1] When Douglas weakened from its peak intensity, it had an organized cloud pattern, but the thunderstorm activity was weakening, typical of most Eastern Pacific hurricanes that reach cooler waters.[8] At 2 p.m. PDT on July 23, 2002, Douglas weakened to Category 1 status as it continued to move over colder waters.[9] Further weakening was expected and Douglas was predicted to become a remnant-low pressure area, a swirl of low clouds that would have no thunderstorm activity in them in 72 hours.[9] However, the weakening stopped later that evening as Douglas was going through an eyewall replacement cycle.[10] Douglas was downgraded to a tropical storm late on July 24 as the storm only had a small area of deep convection left.[1]
Late that night, Douglas kept its intensity of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) as convection returned to the storm. Even then, the convection was already fading away.[11] The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression early on July 26.[1] It became a remnant low pressure area on July 26 as the storm had had no thunderstorm activity for 24 hours.[12] The remnant low dissipated the next day.[1]
Because Hurricane Douglas formed away from land, no hurricane watches or warnings were issued. The storm caused no damage.[1]