August 2006 Tropical Cyclones Report

• Atlantic Basin
• Pacific Basin

Atlantic Basin

TS Chris Satellite Image	TS Chris Track Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Chris formed just west of the Leeward Islands on August 1st and became a tropical storm the same day. The storm tracked west-northwest to the north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before weakening to a depression on August 4th, and dissipating along the northern coast of Cuba on the 5th. Maximum sustained winds and minimum central pressure for Chris were 55 knots (63 mph or 102 kph) and 1001 millibars (29.56 inches of mercury), respectively, and its overall ACE value was 2.358 x 104 kt2. More information on Chris is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
TS Debby Satellite Image	TS Debby Track Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Tropical storm Debby formed on 21 August, about 250 miles southeast of the Cape Verde Islands and tracked to the northwest. Debby became a tropical storm on the 23rd, and reached maximum sustained winds of 45 kts (52 mph or 83 kph) and a minimum central pressure of 1000 mb (29.53 inches of mercury). The storm was downgraded to a depression on 26 August and dissipated the next day, without ever making landfall. Debby's overall ACE value was 2.1425 x 104 kt2. More information on Debby is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
H Ernesto Satellite Image	H Ernesto Track Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
The first Hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic season, Ernesto, formed on August 24th, about 155 miles southeast of Martinique in the Windward Islands and tracked to the west, becoming a tropical storm in the evening of the 25th. Ernesto briefly strengthened to a category 1 hurricane the morning of August 27th, off of the southern coast of Haiti before returning to tropical storm intensity. As a tropical storm, Ernesto made its first landfall near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba early on the 28th. Although strengthening slightly, Ernesto did not regain hurricane intensity, and made its second landfall in southwestern Dade County, Florida in the early morning of August 30th. After traversing Florida to near Cape Canaveral, Ernesto moved into the Atlantic and restrengthened, resuming a more northerly course and making its final landfall near Long Beach, North Carolina in the late evening of the 31st. Two deaths were reported in Haiti in flooding connected with Ernesto, while 6 storm-related fatalities occurred in the United States. At its height, Ernesto's maximum sustained winds were 65 kts (75 mph or 120 kph) and it's minimum central pressure was 987 mb (29.15 inches of mercury). The overall ACE value was 3.59 x 104 kt2. More information on Ernesto is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Pacific Basin

August was an active month in the East Pacific. Seven storms, of which 4 reached hurricane intensity were active during the month, and are summarized below.

TS Gilma Satellite Image	TS Gilma Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Gilma was the first tropical storm to form in the East North Pacific basin in August. The storm developed to the southwest of Acapulco, Mexico on August 1st, and moved to the northwest. The depression became a tropical storm the same day but weakened from tropical storm intensity early on the 2nd. Gilma dissipated at sea on August 3rd. The storm's maximum sustained winds and minimum central pressure were 35 knots (40 mph or 65 kph) and 1005 millibars (29.68 inches of mercury), respectively, and its ACE value was 0.3675 x 104 kt2. More information on Gilma is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
H Hector Satellite Image	H Hector Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Hector was classified as tropical depression Nine-E on August 15th, southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. The depression intensified into a tropical storm on the 16th as it moved to the northwest, and into a hurricane in the morning of the 17th. At its strongest, Hector was a category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds and minimum central pressure of 90 knots (104 mph or 167 kph) and 970 millibars (28.64 inches of mercury), respectively, and its ACE value was 11.06 x 104 kt2. Hector dissipated at sea on August 23rd. More information on Hector is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
H Ioke Satellite Image	H Ioke Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
On August 19, tropical depression ONE-C became the first named storm to form in the central Pacific since 2002, when it developed approximately 775 miles to the south of Honolulu, Hawaii. TD ONE-C quickly intensified into tropical storm Ioke later the same day as the system moved to the west-northwest. Within 24 hours of its development Ioke had strengthened into a hurricane, and became a major hurricane (category 3 or higher) on the 21st, gaining category 4 status just 6 hours later. As Ioke continued to move west-northwest, it weakened to a category 2 before reintensifying into a major hurricane late on August 23rd. Strengthening continued until Ioke reached category 5 intensity on the morning of the 26th, as it approached the Date Line. The storm, now classified as Super Typhoon Ioke, continued toward Japan, crossing over Wake Island (forcing the evacuation of Wake's residents). Ioke weakened to a category-1 strength storm and recurved toward the Kamchatka Peninsula on September 5th. As of 1200 UTC on September 5th, Ioke (T0612) is forecast to become an extratropical low within 24 hours as it enters the Bering Sea. At its height, the storm's maximum sustained winds and minimum central pressure were 140 knots (161 mph or 259 kph) and 920 millibars (27.17 inches of mercury), respectively. Ioke's ACE index value (calculated through August 26th) was 31.6331 x 104 kt2. More information on Ioke is available from the NOAA Central Pacific Hurricane Center and from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
H Ileana Satellite Image	H Ileana Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Forming a few hundred miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, tropical depression TEN-E became tropical storm Ileana late on August 21st and had intensified into a category 1 hurricane just 24 hours later. Ileana moved northwest, paralleling the Mexican coast and passed west of the Baja Peninsula. The storm attained category 3 intensity on the 23rd before gradually weakening to a tropical storm on August 26th. Ileana dissipated at sea around mid-day on the 27th. Ileana's maximum sustained winds were 105 kts (121 mph or 194 kph) and the minimum central pressure was 955 millibars (28.20 inches of mercury). The storm's ACE value was 11.98 x 104 kt2. More information on Ileana is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
H John Satellite Image	H John Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Thus far in 2006, the most intense hurricane to make landfall in either the East North Pacific or the Atlantic basins has been Hurricane John. The system developed about 270 miles southeast of Acapulco, Mexico on August 28th and was classified as a tropical storm within a few hours. John tracked closely along the Mexican coast, intensifying to hurricane strength around mid-day on the 29th. By the next morning, John had become a category 4 storm, centered approximately 160 miles west of Acapulco, while it continued to move northwest toward the Baja Peninsula. On September 1st, John made landfall as a category 2 hurricane, with winds of 110 mph, near Cabo del Este at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. A second landfall occurred the next day further up the peninsula as a category 1 hurricane. Thereafter, John quickly weakened as it moved inland, dissipating on September 4th. John claimed three lives in Mexico, and produced flooding rains across the northwest of the country. The storm's maximum sustained 6-hour wind speed was 115 kts (135 mph or 215 kph) and the minimum central pressure was 948 millibars (27.99 inches of mercury). The storm's overall ACE value was 18.32 x 104 kt2. More information on John is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
H Kristy Satellite Image	H Kristy Track map Saffir-Simpson Scale Color Legend
Tropical Depression Twelve-E formed off the southern tip of Baja California in the early hours of August 30th, but was kept in check by its proximity to Hurricane John. Initially it appeared Twelve-E would dissipate without strengthening into a tropical storm, but later that same day, as it moved northwestward away from John, Kristy did intensify into a tropical storm and became a category 1 hurricane on the morning of the 31st. The storm remained a minimal category 1 hurricane until it weakened to a tropical storm on September 1st. With erratic movement, Kristy vacillated between tropical storm and tropical depression. As the storm moved west toward Hawaii, it gradually weakened, finally dissipating on September 7th. Kristy's maximum sustained winds were 65 kts (75 mph or 120 kph) and the minimum central pressure was 987 millibars (29.14 inches of mercury). The storm's final ACE value was 4.9375 x 104 kt2. More information on Kristy is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Citing This Report

Metadata