| Typhoon (JMA) | |
|---|---|
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHS) | |
| Hurricane Huko on November 1 near peak intensity. | |
| Formed | October 24, 2002 |
| Dissipated | November 7, 2002 |
| Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 130 km/h (80 mph) 1-minute sustained: 140 km/h (85 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 965 mbar (hPa; 28.5 inHg) |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | None |
| Areas affected | Hawaiʻi, Johnston Atoll, Wake Island |
| Part of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season, 2002 Pacific typhoon season | |
Hurricane Huko (also known as Typhoon Huko, international designation: 0224, JTWC designation: 03C) was one of three named tropical cyclone's to develop in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility during the 2002 Pacific hurricane season. It formed on October 24 from a monsoon trough. The depression reached tropical storm strength on October 26 and became a minimal hurricane on October 28, but it soon weakened. Eventually, Huko was able to regain Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and maintained it past the International Date Line, becoming the second storm this season to cross the line. The system continued to hold Category 1 intensity until November 6, when it began weakening, ultimately re-curving back into the central Pacific basin as an extratropical cyclone. The hurricane caused light rainfall in Johnston Atoll, but in all, Hurricane Huko had limited effects on land.
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In late October, an active monsoon trough persisted south of Hawaii along 10°N latitude and stretching from 160°W to the region near the Mexican coast. An area of convection within the trough began developing on October 24. Later that day, the disturbance was upgraded into Tropical Depression Three-C while located 850 mi (1,370 km) south-southeast of Honolulu.[1] Initially poorly organized, it moved to the north. Steadily strengthening and organizing, the depression became a tropical storm early on October 26 while making a turn to the northwest. Intensification continued, and late on October 28, the storm reached hurricane strength for the first time. However, since Tropical Storm Lowell was less than 900 mi (1,400 km) east of Huko, combined with brief increase in wind shear caused by an upper-level trough towards the northwest, Huko weakened into a tropical storm on October 30.[2]
Shortly after making a turn to the west, conditions allowed for the storm to reach hurricane strength for the second time on October 31, passing around 140 mi (230 km) south of Johnston Atoll, with a forecast calling for Hurricane Huko to reach winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). On November 2, the hurricane passed south of a high pressure area, which caused it to accelerate. On November 3, the hurricane passed the International dateline into the West Pacific basin and was re-designated as a typhoon, the predominant term for hurricane-strength cyclones there. At this time, the Japan Meteorological Agency gave Huko the identification number of TY 0224. After the crossover, the forward speed of the typhoon increased to 30 mph (48 km/h) in response to a mid-latitude ridge. That speed is unusually high for a cyclone that did not recurve in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite favorable inflow patterns and warm sea surface temperatures along with a light shear environment, upper-level conditions prevented the typhoon from strengthening beyond a peak of 85 mph (137 km/h). The estimated minimum pressure of the hurricane east of the International dateline was 980 mbar, although a JMA estimate puts the lowest central pressure of the typhoon at 965 mbar while west of the International dateline.[3] The typhoon began to re-curve to the northeast due to a weakness in the ridge on November 5, but wind shear began increasing, weakening the typhoon once more into a tropical storm on November 6 just before completing transition into an extratropical cyclone on November 7.[1][4] Extratropical Huko reentered the East Pacific south of Midway Island on November 9.[2] Hurricane Huko traveled roughly 2,050 mi (3,300 km) while active.[5]
While passing near Johnston Atoll, the hurricane prdocued wind gusts up to 30 mph (48 km/h) and locally heavy rainfall due to the outer rainbands of the storm.[2][3] During its time in the west Pacific, the typhoon brought heavy rains and gusts between 40 mph (64 km/h) to 45 mph (72 km/h) to Wake Island,[6] There was also some concern that Huko could possibly be a threat to the Northern Mariana Islands, The Philippines, and Taiwan.[7] Despite Huko never entering the east Pacific while active, the hurricane contributed tropical moisture to a trough that moved over California. A small stream flooded in Bakersfield, causing $23,000 (2002 USD) in damage.[8]