Joined: 01/05/2008 Posts: 65
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NOAA issued the following press release:
According to NOAA the 2010 Atlantic
hurricane season, which ends tomorrow, was one of the busiest on record. In
contrast, the eastern North Pacific season had the fewest storms on record
since the satellite era began.
In the Atlantic Basin a total of 19
named storms formed – tied with 1887 and 1995 for third highest on record. Of
those, 12 became hurricanes – tied with 1969 for second highest on record. Five
of those reached major hurricane status of Category 3 or higher.
These totals are within the ranges
predicted in NOAA’s seasonal outlooks issued on May 27 (14-23 named
storms; 8-14 hurricanes; 3-7 major hurricanes) and August 5 (14-20
named storms; 8-12 hurricanes; 4-6 major hurricanes). An average Atlantic season
produces 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
Large-scale climate features strongly
influenced this year’s hurricane activity, as they often do. This year, record
warm Atlantic waters, combined with the favorable winds coming off Africa and
weak wind shear aided by La Niña energized developing storms. The 2010 season
continues the string of active hurricane seasons that began in 1995.
But short-term weather patterns
dictate where storms actually travel and in many cases this season, that was
away from the United States. The jet stream’s position contributed to warm and
dry conditions in the eastern U.S. and acted as a barrier that kept many storms
over open water. Also, because many storms formed in the extreme eastern
Atlantic, they re-curved back out to sea without threatening land.
“As NOAA forecasters predicted, the
Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active on record, though
fortunately most storms avoided the U.S. For that reason, you could say the
season was a gentle giant,” said Jack Hayes, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s National
Weather Service.
Other parts of the Atlantic basin
weren’t as fortunate. Hurricane Tomas brought heavy rain to earthquake-ravaged
Haiti, and several storms, including Alex, battered eastern Mexico and Central
America with heavy rain, mudslides and deadly flooding.
Though La Niña helped to enhance the
Atlantic hurricane season, it also suppressed storms from forming and
strengthening in the eastern North Pacific. Of that region’s seven named storms
this year, three grew into hurricanes and two of those became major hurricanes.
This is the fewest named storms (previous record low was eight in 1977) and the
fewest hurricanes (previous record low was four in 1969, 1970, 1977 and 2007)
on record since the satellite era began in the mid-1960s. An average eastern
North Pacific season produces 15 named storms, nine
hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
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