Tropical Weather Summary


000
ABPZ30 KNHC 011438
TWSEP 
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 AM PDT FRI SEP 1 2006
 
FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE..
 
AUGUST WAS AN ACTIVE MONTH FOR TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE EASTERN
NORTH PACIFIC WITH FOUR NAMED STORMS DEVELOPING.  ADDITIONALLY...
TROPICAL STORMS FABIO AND GILMA WHICH FORMED ON THE LAST DAY OF
JULY REMAINED TROPICAL CYCLONES DURING THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF
AUGUST.  FOUR OF THE NAMED STORMS BECAME HURRICANES WITH ILEANA AND
JOHN BECOMING MAJOR HURRICANES.

FABIO FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT EMERGED FROM THE COAST OF
AFRICA ON 15 JULY AND CROSSED CENTRAL AMERICA ON 23 JULY. 
CONVECTION BEGAN TO INCREASE ALONG THE WAVE ON 28 JULY AT WHICH
TIME A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE FORMED APPROXIMATELY 500 N MI
SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW SLOWLY ORGANIZED OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS AS
IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD...AND BY 31 JULY THE SYSTEM ACQUIRED
SUFFICIENT DEEP CONVECTION TO BE DESIGNATED AS A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ABOUT 975 N MI SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA
CALIFORNIA.  THE CYCLONE BECAME THE SIXTH TROPICAL STORM OF THE
SEASON 6 HOURS LATER AND REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 45 KT ON 1
AUGUST.  AS FABIO MOVED WESTWARD UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A
MID-TROPOSPHERIC RIDGE TO THE NORTH...THE CYCLONE WAS AFFECTED BY
INCREASING EASTERLY VERTICAL SHEAR AND A MORE STABLE AIRMASS. 
THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THE CYCLONE
WEAKENING BACK TO A DEPRESSION ON 3 AUGUST ABOUT 1400 N MI EAST OF
HILO HAWAII.  FABIO DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW ON 4 AUGUST AND
CONTINUED WESTWARD...BECOMING AN OPEN WAVE BY 6 AUGUST.  

GILMA DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE WEST COAST
OF AFRICA ON 17 JULY.  IT ENTERED INTO THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC
OCEAN ON 25 JULY WITH CONVECTION INCREASING ON 29 JULY.  BY 
1 AUGUST...THE SYSTEM HAD ACQUIRED ENOUGH DEEP CONVECTION AND
SUFFICIENT ORGANIZATION TO BE CONSIDERED A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
ABOUT 360 N MI SOUTHWEST OF ACAPULCO MEXICO.  DESPITE MODERATE
EASTERLY SHEAR...THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM 
ON 1 AUGUST.  GILMA WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM AND PERSISTENT
EASTERLY SHEAR PREVENTED FURTHER INTENSIFICATION.  BY 2 AUGUST THE
LOW-LEVEL CENTER BECAME COMPLETELY EXPOSED AND GILMA WEAKENED TO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION.  GILMA DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW ON 4
AUGUST ABOUT 375 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO.  THE LOW
DISSIPATED ON 5 AUGUST ABOUT 325 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE
SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA.

HECTOR FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT EXITED THE WEST COAST OF
AFRICA ON 31 JULY AND REACHED THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN ON 10
AUGUST.  SHOWER ACTIVITY GRADUALLY INCREASED AS THE WAVE PASSED
SOUTH OF THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC AND A BROAD LOW PRESSURE AREA
DEVELOPED ABOUT 425 N MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO ON 13 AUGUST.  THE SYSTEM
CONTINUED TO GAIN ORGANIZATION AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED ON
THE 15TH ABOUT 750 N MI SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO.  MOVING WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD...THE DEPRESSION QUICKLY ACHIEVED TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH AND INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE ON THE 17TH.  WHILE
LOCATED ABOUT 1150 N MI SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA
CALIFORNIA...IT IS ESTIMATED THAT HECTOR REACHED PEAK INTENSITY OF
90 KT...CATEGORY 2 ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...ON THE
18TH.  HECTOR CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWESTWARD REACHING
COOLER WATERS ON THE 20TH AND WEAKENED BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH. 
DESPITE PASSING OVER COOLER WATERS...THE CYCLONE CONTINUED TO
PRODUCE CONVECTION AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FOR ANOTHER TWO
DAYS.  HECTOR TURNED WESTWARD AND LOST MOST OF ITS DEEP CONVECTION
ON THE 22ND...THEN FINALLY WEAKENED INTO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE
23RD.  THE REMNANT LOW CONTINUED WESTWARD AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 1150
N MI EAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE 24TH.

ILEANA FORMED ON 21 AUGUST ABOUT 300 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF
ACAPULCO FROM A WESTWARD-MOVING TROPICAL WAVE THAT HAD EMERGED INTO
THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER.  LATER THAT DAY...
THE CYCLONE STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM AS IT MOVED
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD.  ILEANA BECAME A HURRICANE ON 22 AUGUST...AND
STRENGTHENED TO AN ESTIMATED PEAK INTENSITY OF 105 KT...CATEGORY 3
STATUS...ON 23 AUGUST.  THE HURRICANE THEN TURNED NORTHWESTWARD
WHILE A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND COMMENCED.  ILEANA TURNED BACK TO
THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 26 AUGUST.  THE
SYSTEM WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION ON 27 AUGUST AND DETERIORATED INTO
A LARGE REMNANT LOW LATER THAT DAY.  THE LOW DRIFTED GENERALLY
WESTWARD FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE LOSING ITS IDENTITY.

JOHN ORIGINATED FROM AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH A
TROPICAL WAVE THAT ENTERED THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC ON 25 AUGUST
AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SHOWED SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION.  HOWEVER...THE
SYSTEM DID NOT DEVELOP INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION UNTIL 28 AUGUST
WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 340 N MI SOUTHEAST OF ACAPULCO.  THE CYCLONE
QUICKLY STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM.  JOHN MOVED WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD...PARALLELING THE COAST OF MEXICO.  THE STORM
INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE ON 29 AUGUST AND RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED
INTO A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE THAT SAME DAY WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 140 N
MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO.  JOHN REACHED CATEGORY 4 STRENGTH ON 30
AUGUST BUT WEAKENED TO CATEGORY 2 STATUS ON 31 AUGUST WHILE
CONTINUING TO MOVE ROUGHLY PARALLEL...BUT CLOSER TO...THE SOUTHWEST
COAST OF MEXICO.  ALTHOUGH THE EYE REMAINED OFFSHORE... JOHN'S
CIRCULATION AFFECTED THE COAST OF MAINLAND MEXICO WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINS AND STRONG WINDS.  THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING
IN ACAPULCO DUE TO JOHN.  AT MONTH'S END...JOHN WAS MOVING
NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA.

KRISTY FORMED ON 30 AUGUST...ABOUT 450 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE
SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA...FROM A MASS OF CLOUDINESS AND
SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE.  KRISTY BECAME A TROPICAL
STORM THAT SAME DAY WHILE MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD.  IT
STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE EARLY ON 31 AUGUST AND CONTINUED TO
HEAD SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD.  AT MONTH'S END...KRISTY WAS MOVING
SLOWLY WESTWARD THROUGH THE OPEN PACIFIC ABOUT 490 N MI
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA.

SUMMARY TABLE

NAME            DATES            MAX WIND (KT)           DEATHS
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TS FABIO      31 JUL-3 AUG            45                    0
TS GILMA      31 JUL-3 AUG            35                    0
H  HECTOR      15-23 AUG              90                    0
H  ILEANA      21-27 AUG             105                    0
H  JOHN        AUG 28-               115                    0
H  KRISTY      AUG 30-                65                    0
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NOTE...DATES BASED ON COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC)
 
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FORECASTER AVILA/BLAKE/BROWN/MAINELLI/PASCH/RHOME