Talk:Cape Verde hurricane

Five Largest Reference?

From specifically which reference originates the sentence, "The five largest Atlantic tropical cyclones on record have been Cape Verde-type hurricanes."? It would be great if I could get this, as it will be helpful for my MS thesis. Thanks.

Timothy Chen Allen (talk) 19:11, 12 November 2013 (UTC)

To do

Better structure; more of a narrative thread uniting the article. Jdorje 20:19, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

Cape Verde season

I was given the impression that there is a distinct "Cape Verde season" in which CV cyclones are favored over storms that are formed near the Bahamas or the Gulf of Mexico, and it seems to "cut off" about mid-September. Is that the case? If so, it might be worthwhile to note the hurricanes that occurred the earliest and the latest within the Cape Verde season (for example Lili and Karl both were named on September 15th or later). 66.217.44.205 03:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

I've been studying hurricanes for four years now and I've never heard of a "Cape Verde Season". They aren't as common in June and July as storms that form in the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean, but that still doesn't suggest a "season". Toroca (talk) 18:23, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

Other Types?

Stressing this type as separate inplies that there are other types, but no mention is made of other types, not even references. CFLeon 21:00, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

I disagree. This type is only stressed because Cape Verde type storms tend to be among the strongest that form in any given season, because they have the longest period of time free from interaction with land. The ones that form off the coast of the US, or in the Gulf of Mexico, or in the Caribbean don't usually get referred to as a specific type of storm; Cape Verde type storms consistently do. Toroca (talk) 18:23, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm with CFL on this one. Anointing one group of hurricanes as a "type" and giving it a name implies that there are other "type"s. If there are, they should be noted and links provided (and if there aren't, some explanation of this should be provided). Maybe Cape Verde storms are the strongest, but that's all the more reason to make the distinction between them and Antillean or Caribbean type storms (Can you tell I'm making up these names--'coz I don't know any others?). --Piledhigheranddeeper (talk) 16:18, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I, uhm, "triple" that? Well, at the very least I second that. I'm curious as to what percentage of Hurricanes are Cape Verde-type, maybe this would be helpful in both listing the other types (as well as their percentage of occurrence as well) and, when cross-referenced with the list of notable Cape Verdes, show a certain tendency away from/propensity towards powerful storms. 24.3.14.157 (talk) 10:58, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

I'll say it again, Cape Verde type hurricanes are the only type consistently named by forecasters. I don't care what the name implies, because it doesn't matter. Unless you can find a reliable source naming other types (which you won't, because no professional ever specifies other types in the Atlantic), it doesn't belong in this article. Your personal opinions about what the name implies are irrelevant when this is supposed to be an encycolpedic article. Articles on Wikipedia are not supposed to be based on personal opinion, they're supposed to be based on fact, and the fact is that Cape Verde types are the only ones consistently mentioned, and the only "type" of Atlantic storm recognized and defined by the NHC in their frequently asked questions. Toroca (talk) 23:39, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

How about

Hi. Are storms which originate as tropical waves forming near Cape Verde count as Cape Verde-type hurricanes like Felix (2007) or Dolly (2008), and what about storms that travel north like Vince or Epsilon of 2005, and why does this article associate only to hurricanes and not to tropical storms or depressions? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 18:04, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, typically if a storm does not form from a westward-moving tropical wave, it's not a Cape Verde type. Vince and Epsilon don't count for that. Also, tropical storms and depressions aren't mentioned because, honestly, no one cares about those this far from land. You don't see forecasters mentioning "Cape Verde type" in reference to a tropical storm except when making statements like "Tropical Storm So-and-So has the potential to develop into a powerful Cape Verde type hurricane." A Cape Verde type Tropical Storm is almost an oxymoron, because such a storm would be no more powerful than any other tropical storm. Cape Verde type hurricanes, on the other hand, tend to be among the strongest seen each season. Not always, mind you; years like 2005 would be notable exceptions since none of the three strongest storms that year was a Cape Verde hurricane. (Emily, however, the fourth strongest, was). So far this year, the strongest storm has been Hurricane Bertha, which reached Category Three. That storm was so far the only Cape Verde type hurricane this year, though it looks like the newly-designated Invest 97L may be the next one. Toroca (talk) 18:23, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

Hi. OK, but by the way Gustav is a cat. 4 now. It formed in the Caribbean but its precuror wave originated off the coast of Africa, and Katrina, Rita, and Wilma can all be traced back to Africa. Also, storms can track thousands of kilometres west and not form until the Caribbean, and also what about the fact that most waves off Africa that do form into storms have a good amount of lightning. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 22:28, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

The general definition of a Cape Verde type hurricane is one that forms as a tropical storm near the Cape Verde islands, within 1000km or so, and then reaches hurricane strength before reaching the area of the Lesser Antilles. That cannot be said about any of the storms you've named. They can all be traced back to Africa because they all formed from tropical waves, as about 85% of Atlantic tropical cyclones do. That doesn't make them Cape Verde type hurricanes; they formed too far from the Cape Verde islands to qualify. Of this year's named storms so far, only Bertha and possibly Ike were Cape Verde type; I'd have to look to see exactly how far Ike was from the Cape Verdes when it formed to say for sure, because it was in the middle of the Atlantic. In 2005, only three named storms were Cape Verde type hurricanes. Emily, Irene, and Maria. If Lee and Zeta had reached hurricane strength, they might have qualified as well, though I'd doubt it in Zeta's case considering the track it took. Toroca (talk) 23:39, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

BTW, Tropical Storm Josephine formed off of Cape Verde. But it dissipated in the middle of the Atlantic. Now they're saying it could regenerate as the remnants move into the Caribbean. Would it be called Josephine or Kyle? And if it does regenerate, do you think it could have enough time or enough gas in the tank to form into anything bad? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.122.253.110 (talk) 13:46, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Katia

I'm pretty sure Katia is a cape verde type... But can somebody make sure as it did form slightly west of cape verde? JohnnyRH (talk) 22:30, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Storm tracks

In my opinion there is a lot of variation in what is labeled as a Cape Verde storm. The region of development is open to discussion. Even the NHC's FAQ has a statement that "that would be my definition, there may be others"[1] when trying to pin down whether a storm is or is not a Cape Verde type. Using a fairly loose or broad definition, the tracks of some storms might pass the Cape Verde Islands prior to development. The question open to debate is where must development take place and to what extent should this development be for it to "qualify." So I would offer up my "definition" for the purposes of this article, and the article's discussion of tracks.

I noticed that in at least the case of Hurricane Gilbert, that the moment of development of that storm does not fit the typical definition of a Cape Verde hurricane. But suspend disbelief for just a moment and consider what the article's emphasis is. In this particular case, we are discussing tracks that are typical of Cape Verde hurricanes. Gilbert definitely fits this constraint perfectly. Not only did the "tropical wave" leave Africa and pass by Cape Verde, its track continued to follow the quite horrific southern route that wreaks so much havoc. But it was only a "disturbance" or "wave" when it was in the Eastern Atlantic. So while not a textbook case, this hurricane met all of the criteria for a Cape Verde storm except that its development was to far west. Notably, though, it was a hurricane before approaching the Lesser Antilles.

In summary, the track of Gilbert from its genesis in Africa was similar to a Cape Verde hurricane, and thus it would serve as a good example of one on the southern track. I have a feeling that what prevents such tropical waves from developing in the Eastern Atlantic might often be their proximity to the equator's Intertropical Convergence Zone, along with the lack of Coriolis effect in low latitudes. Gilbert's tropical wave was so far south, it was unable to develop until closing in on the Caribbean. And although Gilbert may be a good example of an exception to a strict rule of defining a Cape Verde storm, I believe that a loose definition would permit the best discussion of typical tracks. It's not like we have 1,000 years of storms in the record books, nor is it like there is a clear and perfect reason to define them restrictively. I like to saw logs! (talk) 21:02, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

The Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorology Lab (AOML) Hurricane Research Division (HRD) defines a Cape Verde-type hurricane as one that develops within 600 miles of the Cape Verde Islands, as your source states. Becoming a hurricane prior to the Caribbean is not the set definition, just his own. TropicalAnalystwx13 (talk) 16:01, 18 February 2013 (UTC)