000
ABPZ30 KNHC 021208
TWSEP
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
8 PM PST SAT NOV 30 2002
SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY FOR 2002...
FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST
LONGITUDE...
DURING THE 2002 HURRICANE SEASON THERE WERE TWELVE NAMED TROPICAL
STORMS IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC BASIN...OF WHICH SIX BECAME
HURRICANES. FIVE OF THE HURRICANES BECAME MAJOR HURRICANES...
CATEGORY THREE OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...AND
THREE OF THESE REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY. THERE WERE ALSO
FOUR DEPRESSIONS THAT DID NOT REACH TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH.
TROPICAL STORM JULIO AND HURRICANE KENNA MADE LANDFALL IN MEXICO...
AND TROPICAL STORM BORIS WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME DAMAGE IN MEXICO
ALTHOUGH ITS CENTER REMAINED OFFSHORE. KENNA...A LANDFALLING
CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE...WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUR DEATHS. TWO
SYSTEMS...FAUSTO AND LOWELL...PASSED INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BASIN
AS TROPICAL CYCLONES.
ALMA DEVELOPED OUT OF AN AREA OF WEAK LOW PRESSURE THAT BECAME A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 24 MAY ABOUT 475 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF
MANZANILLO MEXICO. THE DEPRESSION MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD AND BECAME
TROPICAL STORM ALMA ON THE 26TH. ALMA TURNED TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST
AND BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 28TH. THE HURRICANE TURNED TOWARD
THE NORTHWEST AND THEN TO THE NORTH LATE ON THE 29TH. ALMA REACHED
ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 100 KT ON THE 30TH WHEN IT WAS LOCATED 475 N
MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO. ALMA BEGAN TO WEAKEN AS IT
MOVED OVER COOLER WATERS AND ENCOUNTERED SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL
WINDS. ALMA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AND THEN ON 1 JUNE
BECAME A NEARLY STATIONARY NON-CONVECTIVE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ABOUT
450 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.
BORIS WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM THAT BROUGHT HEAVY RAINS TO
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF MEXICO. THE CYCLONE RESULTED
FROM AN INTERACTION OF A LARGE AND PERSISTENT DISTURBANCE SOUTHWEST
OF ACAPULCO MEXICO WITH A TROPICAL WAVE. ON 8 JUNE...A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FORMED WITHIN THE DISTURBANCE ABOUT 150 N MI WEST-
SOUTHWEST OF ACAPULCO. THE DEPRESSION MOVED TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST
AND STRENGTHENED DURING THE DAY...REACHING TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH
AS WELL AS ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT EARLY ON THE 9TH. LATE ON
THE 9TH BORIS BECAME NEARLY STATIONARY. EASTERLY WIND SHEAR CAUSED
THE CYCLONE TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 10TH WHEN IT
WAS ABOUT 100 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MANZANILLO...AND BORIS
DEGENERATED TO A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW ON THE 11TH. ALTHOUGH
THE CENTER OF BORIS REMAINED OFFSHORE...THERE WERE REPORTS OF DAMAGE
TO SEVERAL HOMES ALONG THE MEXICAN COAST DUE TO HEAVY RAINS FROM
OUTER RAIN BANDS.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION THREE-E FORMED ABOUT 1000 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO
SAN LUCAS ON 27 JUNE. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WESTWARD FOR TWO DAYS AND
THEN ENCOUNTERED STRONG WIND SHEAR THAT CAUSED THE SYSTEM TO
DISSIPATE ON THE 29TH.
CRISTINA ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT BECAME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ON 9 JULY ABOUT 325 N MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO MEXICO. THE
DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...THEN WESTWARD FROM THE 10TH TO
THE 13TH...WHILE SLOWLY STRENGTHENING. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM
ON THE 12TH. WINDS REACHED 55 KT BY THE 14TH WHEN THE STORM TURNED
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST. CRISTINA THEN WEAKENED AND DEGENERATED
INTO A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW ON THE 16TH ABOUT 750 N MI
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.
THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION THAT BECAME DOUGLAS FORMED ABOUT 400 N MI
SOUTH OF MANZANILLO ON 20 JULY AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER
THAT DAY. AFTER MOVING IN A GENERAL NORTHWESTWARD DIRECTION...
DOUGLAS TURNED TOWARD THE WEST LATE ON THE 21ST AND STRENGTHENED
INTO A HURRICANE. IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 90 KT ON THE
22ND WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 650 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.
DOUGLAS MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND GRADUALLY WEAKENED OVER THE
NEXT TWO DAYS...WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM AND LATER TO A
DEPRESSION ON THE 25TH. DOUGLAS DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW
ABOUT 1300 MILES EAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE 26TH.
ELIDA BECAME A DEPRESSION ON 23 JULY ABOUT 300 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
OF PUERTO ESCONDIDO MEXICO. IT STRENGTHENED AT A PHENOMENAL
RATE...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY...A CATEGORY 3
HURRICANE ON THE 24TH...AND A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON THE 25TH.
INITIALLY MOVING WESTWARD...ELIDA TURNED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ON THE
25TH. A MOSTLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT TWO
DAYS. ELIDA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 27TH...AND FURTHER
WEAKENING OCCURRED ON THE 28TH AS THE CYCLONE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD
OVER COOLER WATER. ELIDA TURNED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD ON THE 29TH AND
WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION...AND THEN BECAME A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT
LOW ABOUT 825 N MI WEST-NORTHWEST OF PUNTA EUGENIA MEXICO ON THE
30TH.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION SEVEN-E FORMED ON 6 AUGUST ABOUT 775 N MI
SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. MOVING GENERALLY NORTHWESTWARD...IT
DISSIPATED ON THE 8TH ABOUT 925 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN
LUCAS MEXICO.
THE WEATHER SYSTEM THAT BECAME FAUSTO COULD BE TRACKED FROM AFRICA
NEARLY TO ALASKA. FAUSTO DEVELOPED FROM A FAST-MOVING TROPICAL WAVE
THAT CROSSED THE WEST-AFRICAN COAST ON 11 AUGUST...AND ENTERED THE
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC BASIN ON THE 17TH. THE SYSTEM BECAME A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 21ST ABOUT 400 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF
MANZANILLO. THE DEPRESSION INITIALLY MOVED WESTWARD AND
STRENGTHENED...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 22ND ABOUT 450 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO. FAUSTO TURNED TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST
...A HEADING IT WOULD MAINTAIN FOR THE NEXT SIX DAYS...AND STEADILY
STRENGTHENED...BECOMING A HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY. STEADY AND
SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING CONTINUED...WITH FAUSTO REACHING ITS PEAK
INTENSITY OF 125 KT ON THE 24TH. FAUSTO THEN BEGAN TO STEADILY
WEAKEN...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM AGAIN ON THE 26TH. WINDS DROPPED
BELOW TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH EARLY ON THE 28TH...SHORTLY AFTER
FAUSTO CROSSED 140W LONGITUDE AND ENTERED THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BASIN.
IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC FAUSTO FOUND NEW LIFE...BECOMING A
SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 30TH...AND THEN A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
AND TROPICAL STORM ON 1 SEPTEMBER. FAUSTO EVENTUALLY WAS ABSORBED
BY AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW ON THE 3RD ABOUT 600 N MI SOUTH OF THE
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS.
GENEVIEVE DEVELOPED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 26 AUGUST ABOUT 500
N MI SOUTH OF CABO SAN LUCAS. MOVING WESTWARD AND THEN
NORTHWESTWARD...IT REACHED ITS PEAK WINDS OF 60 KT ON THE 27TH AND
MAINTAINED THIS INTENSITY UNTIL THE 29TH. ON 1 SEPTEMBER...
GENEVIEVE BECAME A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW ABOUT 950 N MI
WEST-NORTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.
HERNAN BECAME A TROPICAL CYCLONE ON 30 AUGUST ABOUT 350 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MANZANILLO...AND RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED AS
IT MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. ON 1 SEPTEMBER...HERNAN BECAME THE
SECOND CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE OF THE SEASON WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 350 N
MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. IT THEN MOVED GENERALLY
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD AND STEADILY WEAKENED. THE
CYCLONE DISSIPATED ABOUT 800 N MI WEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON 6
SEPTEMBER.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ELEVEN-E FORMED ABOUT 250 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON 5 SEPTEMBER. IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD AND WAS
VERY CLOSE TO TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH WHILE THREATENING SOUTHERN
BAJA CALIFORNIA ON THE 6TH. THE DEPRESSION MOVED SLOWLY AND
ERRATICALLY WHILE WEAKENING ON THE 7TH. IT THEN TURNED NORTHWARD
AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 225 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON
THE 8TH.
ISELLE BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ABOUT 275 N MI SOUTH OF
MANZANILLO ON 15 SEPTEMBER. THE CYCLONE MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD
AND STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. ISELLE MOVED
NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 5 DAYS...REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 60
KT ABOUT 350 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. ISELLE THEN
TURNED SHARPLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND BEGAN TO WEAKEN AS IT
ENCOUNTERED SOUTHWESTERLY WIND SHEAR. ISELLE WEAKENED TO A
DEPRESSION ON THE 19TH AND DEGENERATED ON THE 20TH TO A
NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW ABOUT 50 N MI WEST OF PUERTO CORTES.
ISELLE PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF
THE BAJA PENINSULA BUT THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR
CASUALTIES.
JULIO FORMED AS A DEPRESSION ABOUT 75 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF
ZIHUATANEJO MEXICO ON 25 SEPTEMBER. THE CYCLONE REACHED TROPICAL
STORM STRENGTH BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL JUST WEST-NORTHWEST OF LAZARO
CARDENAS MEXICO EARLY ON THE 26TH. JULIO DISSIPATED OVER THE
MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO LATER THAT DAY. THE STORM PRODUCED TROPICAL
STORM WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN MEXICO.
THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES.
KENNA WAS THE STRONGEST HURRICANE OF THE SEASON AND THE THIRD-
STRONGEST KNOWN HURRICANE TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF
MEXICO...COMING ASHORE NEAR SAN BLAS AS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. KENNA FIRST DEVELOPED INTO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 22 OCTOBER ABOUT 350 N MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO.
THE DEPRESSION MOVED TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND QUICKLY BECAME A
TROPICAL STORM. KENNA REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH THE NEXT DAY ABOUT
450 N MI SOUTH OF CABO CORRIENTES MEXICO. KENNA CONTINUED TO
STRENGTHEN AS ITS TRACK CURVED NORTHWESTWARD AND THEN NORTHWARD...
AND BY THE AFTERNOON OF THE 24TH IT HAD BECOME A CATEGORY FIVE
HURRICANE. KENNA THEN GRADUALLY TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARD THE
PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO. KENNA REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 145
KT...WITH A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 913 MB...EARLY ON THE 25TH ABOUT 125
N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO CORRIENTES. AS KENNA APPROACHED MEXICO
IT BEGAN TO WEAKEN DUE TO INCREASING VERTICAL SHEAR...AND KENNA MADE
LANDFALL NEAR MIDDAY ON THE 25TH NEAR SAN BLAS WITH WINDS ESTIMATED
NEAR 120 KT. KENNA QUICKLY WEAKENED AND DISSIPATED OVER THE
MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL MEXICO EARLY ON THE 26TH. THE EVACUATION OF
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM LOW-LYING AREAS KEPT CASUALTIES
LOW. REPORTS FROM MEXICO INDICATE THAT FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND
OVER 100 WERE INJURED BY FLYING DEBRIS. MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE
DAMAGE TO ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THE HOMES IN SAN BLAS. THERE WAS ALSO
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN PUERTO VALLARTA.
LOWELL FORMED ABOUT 1500 N MI EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
ON 22 OCTOBER. IT MEANDERED SLOWLY FOR A DAY OR SO WHILE
STRENGTHENING TO A TROPICAL STORM...AND THEN MOVED GENERALLY
WESTWARD. STRONG SHEAR WEAKENED THE CYCLONE TO A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ON THE 24TH. LOWELL CROSSED INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC
HURRICANE BASIN ON THE 25TH. WHILE DRIFTING NORTHWESTWARD WELL TO
THE SOUTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...THE SYSTEM RESTRENGTHENED
INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 27TH. LOWELL REACHED ITS MAXIMUM
INTENSITY...45 KT...ON THE 28TH. THEN...INCREASED SHEAR WEAKENED
THE CYCLONE AND LOWELL WAS REDUCED TO A DEPRESSION ON THE 29TH. THE
CYCLONE DEGENERATED INTO A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW ON THE 30TH
AND THEN DISSIPATED ABOUT 575 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF HAWAII ON THE
31ST.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIXTEEN-E FORMED ABOUT 475 N MI SOUTH OF CABO
SAN LUCAS ON 14 NOVEMBER. STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR PREVENTED ANY
SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING WHILE THE DEPRESSION MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD
FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS. THE DEPRESSION DISSIPATED ON THE 16TH ABOUT
625 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.
SUMMARY TABLE...
NAME DATES WIND-KT DEATHS
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H ALMA 24 MAY-01 JUN 100
TS BORIS 08-11 JUN 50
TD THREE-E 27-29 JUN 30
TS CRISTINA 09-16 JUL 55
H DOUGLAS 20-26 JUL 90
H ELIDA 23-30 JUL 140
TD SEVEN-E 06-08 AUG 30
H FAUSTO 21 AUG-03 SEP 125
TS GENEVIEVE 26 AUG-01 SEP 60
H HERNAN 30 AUG-06 SEP 140
TD ELEVEN-E 05-08 SEP 30
TS ISELLE 15-20 SEP 60
TS JULIO 25-26 SEP 40
H KENNA 22-26 OCT 145 4
TS LOWELL 22-31 OCT 40
TD SIXTEEN-E 14-16 NOV 30
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NOTE...DATES ARE BASED ON UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME...UTC
FORECASTERS FRANKLIN/AVILA/BEVEN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART
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