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Latest News |
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Slow Atlantic Hurricane Season Comes to an End (Nov 30, 2009)
The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends today marking the close of a season with the fewest named storms and hurricanes since 1997 thanks, in part, to El Niño.
Nine named storms formed this year, including three hurricanes, two of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher. These numbers fall within the ranges predicted in NOAA’s mid-season outlook issued in August, which called for seven to 11 named storms, three to six hurricanes, and one to two major hurricanes. An average season has 11 named storms and six hurricanes, including two major hurricanes.
“The reduced activity was expected and reflects the development of El Niño during the summer,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. “El Niño produced strong wind shear across the Caribbean Sea and western tropical Atlantic, which resulted in fewer and shorter-lived storms compared to some recent very active seasons.”
Two systems, Claudette and Ida, brought tropical storm force winds to the U.S. mainland. For the first time in three years, no hurricanes hit the U.S. There were 38 hurricane hunter aircraft reconnaissance missions flown by NOAA and the U.S. Air Force over the Atlantic Basin this year compared to 169 in 2008 – another indication of a less active season.
“El Niño is expected to reach peak strength this winter, and will likely continue into the spring. It is far too early to say whether El Niño will be present next summer,” added Bell. NOAA will issue its initial 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in May, prior to the official start of the season on June 1.
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Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace |
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas |
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda |
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Red names are active storms, Blue names are retired storms, and Black names have yet to form. |
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Orlando Tropical Threat Level |
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December 2, 2009
The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ended on November 30th. For the upcoming Winter and Spring we can expect above normal rainfall and severe weather as the result of a moderate El Nino in the Eastern Pacific. This same El Nino was responsible for the below average hurricane activity in the Atlantic this past year. |
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THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ACTIVE STORMS IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN AT THIS TIME. |
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THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS OR DISTURBANCES IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN AT THIS TIME. |
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The figure above shows the zones of origin and tracks for the month of November of the hurricane season. These figures only depict average conditions. Hurricanes can originate in different locations and travel much different paths from the average. Nonetheless, having a sense of the general pattern can give you a better picture of the average hurricane season for your area. |
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The above map shows the paths of known November tropical storms and hurricanes which have come within 100 miles of Orlando in the last 157 years. |
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The official hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico) is from 1 June to 30 November. As seen in the graph above, the peak of the season is from mid-August to late October. However, deadly hurricanes can occur anytime in the hurricane season. |
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