2008 Atlantic hurricane season
| 2008 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | May 31, 2008 |
| Last system dissipated | Season currently active |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Arthur |
| • Maximum winds | 40 mph (65 km/h) |
| • Lowest pressure | 1005 mbar (hPa; 29.68 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 1 |
| Total storms | 1 |
| Hurricanes | None |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | None |
| Total fatalities | 9 direct |
| Total damage | $26.5 million (2008 USD) |
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season officially started on June 1 and will run through November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin, though the season began slightly early when Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Belize on May 31.
Seasonal forecasts
| Source | Date | Named storms |
Hurricanes | Major hurricanes |
| CSU | Average (1950–2000)[1] | 9.6 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| NOAA | Average (1950–2005)[2] | 11.0 | 6.2 | 2.7 |
| Record high activity | 28 | 15 | 8 | |
| Record low activity | 4 | 2 | 0 | |
| –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | ||||
| CSU | December 7, 2007 | 13 | 7 | 3 |
| CSU | April 9, 2008 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| NOAA | May 22, 2008 | 12–16 | 6–9 | 2–5 |
| CSU | June 3, 2008 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | ||||
| Actual activity | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts Dr. Philip J. Klotzbach, Dr. William M. Gray, and their associates at Colorado State University; and separately by NOAA forecasters.
Dr. Klotzbach's team (formerly led by Dr. Gray) defined the average number of storms per season (1950 to 2000) as 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes, and 2.3 major hurricanes (storms exceeding Category 3 strength in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). A normal season, as defined by NOAA, has 9 to 12 named storms, with 5 to 7 of those reaching hurricane strength, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.[1][2]
Pre-season forecasts
On December 7, 2007, Klotzbach's team issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2008 season, predicting above-average activity (13 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 of Category 3 or higher).[1] On April 9, 2008, the CSU issued a new forecast, anticipating a well above average hurricane season of 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 intense hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above average season with 12 to 16 storms, 6 to 9 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes on May 22.[3][4]
Storms
Tropical Storm Arthur
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | May 31 – June 2 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min); 1005 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Belize coast on May 31, developing out of the interaction between a tropical wave and the remnants of Tropical Storm Alma, and made landfall on Belize a short while later.[5] The system traversed the Yucatán Peninsula slowly and dissipated inland on June 2.[6] Arthur is the first tropical storm to form in May since Tropical Storm Arlene in 1981. Other systems have formed (such as Subtropical Storm Andrea in 2007), but were subtropical. The formation of Arthur also marks the first time that a named storm formed in May for two consecutive years.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
| ACE (104kt²) (Source) — Storm: | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.368 | Arthur | |||||||||||
| Total: 0.368 | |||||||||||||
The table on the right shows the ACE for each storm in the season. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only officially released for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. Subtropical storms are not included in season totals.
Timeline of events
May
June
2008 storm names
The following names will be used for named storms that form in the North Atlantic in 2008. Retired names, if any, will be announced by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 2009. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2014 season. The list is the same as the 2002 list except for Ike and Laura which will replace Isidore and Lili, respectively.
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See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- 2008 Pacific hurricane season
- 2008 Pacific typhoon season
- 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2007-08, 2008-09
- Australian region cyclone seasons: 2007-08, 2008-09
- South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2007-08, 2008-09
References
- ^ a b c Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2007-12-07). "Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2008" (PDF). Colorado State University. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Climate Prediction Center (2006-08-08). "BACKGROUND INFORMATION: THE NORTH ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Neale, Rick, Experts predict 'very active' Atlantic hurricane season, USA Today, retrieved 2008-04-09
- ^ Klotzbach, Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. GrayEXTENDED RANGE FORECAST OF ATLANTIC SEASONAL HURRICANE ACTIVITY AND U.S. LANDFALL STRIKE PROBABILITY FOR 2008 (as of 9 April 2008), Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, retrieved 2008-04-09
- ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al01/al012008.discus.001.shtml?
- ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al01/al012008.discus.007.shtml?
- ^ Tropical Storm ARTHUR
- ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al01/al012008.public.005.shtml?
- ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al01/al012008.public.007.shtml?