Annular tropical cyclone
Annular hurricanes have a large, symmetric eyes surrounded by a thick ring of intense convection, with hardly any convection (i.e. bands) elsewhere. These types of storms are not prone to fluctuations in intensity related to the eyewall replacement cycles typically seen in intense tropical cyclones. Annular hurricanes can be noticed through satellite imagery easily; they seem to just be composed of an eyewall.
Statistics show that forecasters significantly underestimate the wind velocities in annular hurricanes after the hurricanes peak in intensity. The errors occur because this type of hurricane maintains a higher intensity longer than usual.
Less than 1% of Atlantic tropical cyclones can truly be classified as annular hurricanes, though many exhibit certain characteristics of such cyclones.
Hurricane Luis of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, and Hurricane Edouard of 1996 may have been annular hurricanes. Hurricane Epsilon of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season had the structure of an annular hurricane, which partially explains the storm's longevity in the face of unfavorable conditions. Powerful Hurricane Isabel also generated an annular hurricane structure around the time of its peak intensity.
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