2008 Pacific hurricane season

The Pacific hurricane season began in 2008 in the eastern Pacific officially on 15 May and Zentralpazifk on June 1; it ended on 30 November. Within this period, make the most tropical storms, as only this time the appropriate conditions exist, such as a warm ocean, moist air and little wind shear to allow the formation of tropical cyclones. Any storms that form north of the equator and east of 180 ° W belong to this Basin. Storms that form in the west no longer be called hurricanes, typhoons but.

Although the Pacific Hurrikanbasin, according to the western Pacific, the second most active basin in the world, most storms threaten no country, because they usually give control to the open ocean. Few storms make a curve to the east or north-east and then threaten especially the Mexican coast.

Storms in the Atlantic Ocean see the article: Atlantic hurricane season of 2008.

Seasonal forecast

On 22 May 2008, NOAA announced its seasonal forecast for the hurricane season in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. Thus, a below-average season was expected in the eastern Pacific with 11 named storms to 16, of which 5 to 8 hurricanes, of the one should achieve the status of a major hurricane to three.

Also a slightly below average season was expected for the mid-Pacific. Accordingly, should have three to four tropical cyclones which cross the region between the 140th and 180th degree of west longitude, or form there.

Storms

Tropical Storm Alma

On May 27 was formed southwest of Nicaragua, a low pressure system that developed and intensified tropical characteristics. On May 29, at 3:00 UTC clock, the National Hurricane Center said in Miami, Florida, the system became Tropical Depression One -E. After the area was languishing first in an easterly direction, the NHC laid down because of existing in the southern Gulf of Mexico high -pressure ridge on a northern cyclone track. After the cloud pattern had trained better on the satellite images, the system classified the NHC at 15:00 UTC clock up to the first named tropical storm of the Pacific hurricane season.

Against 14 clock local time ( PDT 21 - Clock UTC) Alma reached at a wind speed of 100 km / h, the mainland to León in the northern part of the Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the phase of their greatest intensity. This caused Alma floods in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Against morning of 30 May local time Alma weakened over the mountains of Honduras and dissolved completely.

The storm killed nine people, seven of them indirectly, the two direct victims lost their lives in Leon. In León fell from power and Telefonversorugung. Around 700 houses were affected and 4,000 people temporarily evacuated. The remnant low reached in the Gulf of Honduras and contributed to development there of Tropical Storm Arthur.

• Archives of NHCs to Tropical Storm Alma ( English).

Hurricane Boris

Southwest of Central America late June formed a low pressure zone. On June 27 at 02:00 clock PDT ( 09:00 o `clock UTC) had so far advanced over the warm water south of Baja California, the convection that the NHC classified the system as a tropical depression. The tropical low pressure system could then rapidly increase in an area with warm water temperatures and low wind shear in a tropical storm. After the storm had kept this intensity for 48 hours, he began to build and reinforced an eye feature, on 29 June in a strong tropical storm. and on the 1st of July, Boris the strength of a hurricane, with winds of 130 km / h reached its greatest strength. Shortly thereafter, Boris came over cooler waters and weakened itself. A day later, the NHC noted that Boris had dissolved into a remnant low.

• NHC archive to Hurricane Boris (English)

Tropical Storm Cristina

Just hours after Boris the National Hurricane Center classified several hundred kilometers to the west on the open ocean, the third tropical depression of the season. The system intensified the next day to Tropical Storm Cristina. This remained on its westward course weak and weakened due to increased wind shear on June 30 to the low pressure area off and broke up the following day.

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Cristina ( English)

Tropical Storm Douglas

On July 2, was formed southeast of the southern tip of Baja California, the Tropical Depression Four -E, which was quickly upgraded to Tropical Storm Douglas. The system had its origin in a tropical wave that broke up on 19 June off the coast of West Africa and moved across the Atlantic Ocean. On June 27, the wave crossed Central America and entered the Pacific hurricane basin. At the time of scale-up to Tropical Storm Douglas reached its greatest strength, with winds of 65 km and a minimum central pressure of 1003 mbar ( hPa).

On July 3, the Douglas was confronted with wind shear and cooler water, which is a further intensification of sub-band. Douglas was downgraded it to a tropical depression, because the convection is triggered by the circulation. On July 4 ( UTC), the system had no more tropical characteristics. The remnant low has weakened further and disappeared on July 6 completely.

Due to its proximity to the mainland, produced the outer rain bands of Douglas wind gusts in storm strength in Manzanillo. Reduced flood damage were recorded at the coastline of the states of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit.

• NHC NHC 's archive on Tropical Storm Douglas ( English)

Tropical Depression Five -E

On July 5, developed from a tropical wave about 275 km south- southwest of Acapulco is a tropical depression. The system migrated to the northwest. It came without significant intensification on July 7 at Lazaro Cardenas over land, and dissipated quickly. The system did not cause any significant damage.

• NHC Archive for deep Five -E ( English)

Hurricane Elida

Late on July 11, the NHC said a low pressure area a few hundred kilometers south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, due to its sufficient convection and tropical. The system intensified rapidly to Tropical Storm Elida. Elida moved westward and intensified. On 14 July at 9:00 clock UTC NHC Elida declared a hurricane rapidly intensified after two days in relatively resistant starch to a Category 2 hurricane. On July 16, Elida reached the greatest strength with winds of 165 km / hr. The hurricane maintained this intensity for about 36 hours and weakened then fell back to the category 1. On 18 July, Elida weakened to a tropical storm and dissipated on July 19 to have jeopardized without land. A few days later, the tropical wave now once again gathered convection, as the system is, however, Hawaii approached, the chances went to a new emphasis lost.

• NHC archive to Elida (English)

Hurricane Fausto

• NHC archive to Hurricane Fausto (English)

On July 16, was formed about 900 km southeast of Acapulco, the seventh tropical low pressure system of the season, which it is reached hurricane strength on July 17, Tropical Storm Fausto reinforced and day. Fausto reached in operations on July 20, southwest of Baja California for a short period category 2 of the Saffir -Simpson hurricane scale, but then lost rapidly in intensity and dissolved on 22 July, cool water. When Nachanlayse was found that the storm reached its peak, however, shortly before reaching the Category 2.

Hurricane Genevieve

A vibrant tropical wave wandered away in the third week of July through Central America after they had developed in the southwestern Caribbean almost to a tropical depression. It arrived in the Pacific and developed south of Acapulco on July 21 for the eighth tropical low pressure system of the year, which intensified into Tropical Storm Genevieve afternoon. As such, Genevieve moved with changeable intensity far away from the Mexican coast westward. On July 25, Genevieve strengthened to hurricane, which soon reached its peak and weakened. On July 27, a remnant low had become of the hurricane.

• NHC archive Hurrikcan Genevieve (English)

Hurricane Hernan

A tropical depression far at sea southwest of the Mexican coast developed slowly and was classified about 1,300 km to the west of Cabo San Lucas on August 6 by the NHC. A high- pressure area over Mexico forced the system to a north-western course at a forward speed of 25 km / h During the day, the depth to the tropical storm and a hurricane on August 8, intensified. Wind shear prevented Hernan, who slowly moved west- northwestward now, over warm water, first, to intensify rapidly. Then followed a rapidly intensifying into a major hurricane, with a core of air pressure of 956 hPa and wind speeds of 105 knots, the Category 3 reached on August 9 on the Saffir -Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hernan remained for twelve hours in this strength, then ran a cyclic - eyewall formation, during which he slowed down for a few hours to a category 1 hurricane, reaching then the Category 2 In the days that followed changed the strength of the storm little. But the slow demise of the system had begun, and every few hours the NHC put the ongoing winds down. About cool water Hernan was graded on 12 August to a tropical storm, which weakened to a tropical depression. On August 13, day Hernan crumbled into a simple Cloudscape.

Despite its intensity as the strongest hurricane of the Pacific hurricane season 2008 Hernan addressed to no damage because it remained far from land. In connection with the hurricane no personal injuries were reported.

• NHC Archive for Hurricane Hernan (English)

Tropical Storm Kika

A weather disturbance southeast of Hawaii had on August 6 so far developed to be classified by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center as Tropical Depression One -C. During the day intensified the depth and reached the strength of a tropical storm. Kika is the Hawaiian version of the name Keith. The storm was the first tropical cyclone that formed since Hurricane Ioke in 2006 in the central Pacific basin.

During the next few days, the storm maintained this intensity. He was back on August 8 to a tropical depression. On the morning of the next day, Kika reinteivierte to a weak tropical storm and remained until the 11th of August in this strength. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center classified Kika then to a remnant low back and was on August 12, the last storm warning.

• CPHC archive to Tropical Storm Kika (English)

Tropical Storm Demoiselle

A fault southwest of the Mexican coast developed on August 13 to a tropical depression, which was classified during the day as Tropical Storm Demoiselle. To have gefährtdet Without land, the storm dissipated on August 16. The remnant low moved a few days westward across the Pacific.

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Demoiselle (English)

Tropical Storm Julio

On August 23 was formed southeast of the southern tip of Baja California, the eleventh tropical depression of the year in the eastern Pacific. Once a ship had reported a sufficient wind speeds, the system to Tropical Storm Julio classifies the NHC high. The storm center passed over La Paz, Baja California Sur and away in the interior of the Baja California peninsula northward. While the storm center reached yet on the waters of the Gulf of Baja California, but the system had been so weakened that it broke up on 26 August.

In Lower California Julio led to thunderstorms with local heavy rain, causing about a dozen communities were cut off from the outside world. Due to the impact, two people were killed and several buildings damaged. The humidity of the system resulted in Arizona widespread thunderstorms. In one of them in the vicinity of the wind Chandler reached a speed of 120 km / h; while ten single-engine aircraft were severely damaged in the municipal airport of Chandler and a hangar. In Gilbert the rain led to the temporary flooding of Interstate 17

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Julio (English)

Tropical Storm Karina

The end of August drew interference from the eastern Pacific. On September 2, the NHC said the system east of the Socorro Islands to Tropical Storm Karina. Karina was short-lived and broke up the next day. The top wind speed of this system was 65 km / h

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Karina (English)

Tropical Storm Lowell

In a monsoonal trough in the southwest of the coast of Mexico a weak area of ​​low pressure, which had moderate, isolated convection arose. However, it was not initially develop and was not mentioned in the next tropical weather forecast. On September 6, had formed a new low on the western edge of the trough, which was indeed ill-defined, the global forecast models, however, went from a cyclone formation within two days. An extensive storm system reached southwest of Manzanillo wind speeds of 35 knots in the night of September 6, so that the NHC classified the system as Tropical Storm Lowell directly, without that it was previously classified as a tropical depression.

Lowell developed slowly, reaching wind speeds of 60 km / h For the southern tip of Baja California because of a warning before a tropical storm was triggered as the system moved north. However, it weakened on September 9, from the tropical depression. In the Mexican states of Michoacan, Sinaloa Sonora and more than 26,500 inhabitants were left homeless due to flash floods, but there is no personal injury in connection with the tropical storm were reported. After landfall, the low pressure area broke up on September 11.

The remnant low moved across the United States and combined with a cold front and the rest low of Hurricane Ike. In the upper Midwest thereby incurred the rains, especially in Illinois led to severe flooding and damage caused before the system hineinzog to Canada. The rainfall caused in Chicago at the highest measured flood levels since the beginning of the hydrological records in 1871.

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Lowell (English)

Hurricane Marie

Marie had its origin in a tropical wave, which occurred on the 6th of September from the west coast of Africa and quickly moved westward without much to develop. On September 24, the shaft had crossed Central America, and evolved over the Pacific Ocean some weak Konvektionsbänder. However, the system showed to September 28, no signs of a closed circulation. At this time the system was about 450 km south of Manzanillo.

• NHC Archive for Hurricane Marie ( English)

Hurricane Norbert

The strongest hurricane of the 2008 season in the eastern Pacific Ocean developed from a strong tropical wave that triftete end of September, off the west coast of Mexico. In the first two days of October, the system had difficulties to develop into a tropical depression, but eventually grew on October 3, a tropical depression, the Tropical Storm Norbert intensified and on October 6 -achieved hurricane strength on October 4. After a rapid intensification on October 7, the storm was the next day to a major hurricane, the second of the season. Twelve hours later, the storm intensified into a hurricane of category 4 On the morning of October 9, the strength had diminished and Norbert took was dropped to a Category 1 hurricane during the day.

About the Gölf east of the peninsula, the hurricane intensified further into a severe hurricane. Norbert crossed twice the Mexican coast; his first contact with the mainland in Baja California on October 11, was listed in Category 2. In the state of Sonora, the storm then moved on October 12 at 4:00 UTC clock finally over land. Overland hurricane lost its force and broke up during the day.

In Mexico, the hurricane came through eight people lost their lives. The storm hit with winds of up to 155 km / h on Baja California. He uprooted palm trees and put some streets of Puerto San Carlos knee-deep under water. He covered roofs and disrupted the power supply of 20,000 inhabitants. The authorities temporarily housed 2850 people in shelters. On the islands of Margarita and Magdalena forty percent of the homes were damaged. The airport of La Paz in Baja California Sur presented its operation during the passage train of the storm temporarily.

Norbert was the first hurricane that has the west of Baja California since Hurricane Pauline forty years before met, and was the stronger of the two storms.

• NHC archive to Hurrian Norbert (English)

Tropical Storm Odile

Early October was formed in the vicinity of Nicaragua a tropical wave. This moved up to the 6th or October 7 relatively little and caused heavy rainfall in the region. On October 8, the system is organized better and soon became Tropical Depression Sixteen -E. The next morning the NHC the system to a tropical storm classified high and placed the name Odile. At this time, the center was located off the coast of Guatemala.

Odile intensified slowly in the following days. On October 10, however, storm warnings in Mexico were triggered because the wind speeds 95 km / h reached. On the night Odile reached at a distance of 80 km its closest distance to the Mexican coast. On reconnaissance aircraft found that had reached at that time the storm with 105 km / h its largest ongoing wind speed. Over the next few days away, Odile lost continuously in intensity and dissipated on October 12.

The precursor system to Odile has dumped heavy rains over Nicaragua.

• NHC Archive for Tropical Storm Odile (English)

Tropical Depression Seventeen -E

On October 23, formed at 9.15 clock local time ( 16:15 UTC clock ) about 600 km south of Manzanillo, the Tropical Depression Seventeen -E. It broke up the next day without reaching the status of a tropical storm.

• Archives of the NHC for deep Seventeen -E ( English).

Tropical Storm Polo

On November 2, the National Hurricane Center classified a low pressure area about 1,600 km south of Baja California as the 18th tropical depression of the year in this basin, which had six hours later intensified into Tropical Storm Polo. At this time, the NHC assumed that Polo would develop into a strong tropical storm, but the system could not really step up and dissolved on November 4 in an open trough on.

Time course of the season

Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE )

The adjacent table shows the ACE for each storm this year. The ACE describes the energy of a tropical storm by the strength of a storm is multiplied by the duration, that is, long -lasting storms and severe storms have a high ACE value. Traditionally, from the NOAA only named storms with wind speeds of over 34 knots (63 km / h) are detected, but not in phases in which they were classified subtropical.

The values ​​in brackets refer to the areas west of the 140th meridian.

Storm names

In the eastern Pacific Rim 2008, the storms are named in the following list:

• Alma
• Boris
• Cristina
• Douglas
• Elida
• Fausto
• Genevieve
• Hernan

• Demoiselle
• Julio
• Karina
• Lowell
• Marie
• Norbert
• Odile
• Polo

• Rachel ( not awarded)
• Simon ( not awarded)
• Trudy ( not awarded)
• Vance ( not awarded)
• Winnie ( not awarded)
• Xavier ( not awarded)
• Yolanda ( not awarded)
• Zeke ( not awarded)

Storms form between the International Date Line (180 ° west longitude ) and 140 ° west longitude, derives its name from a separate list. This list is not changed every year, but the names are used in sequence. The next three names are:

• Kika

• Lena ( not awarded)

• Maka ( not awarded)

The World Meteorological Organization has named Alma deleted in April 2009 from the list of names of tropical cyclones and replaced for the Pacific hurricane season in 2014 with Amanda.