Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Odd Adrian

Hurricane season is off to an odd start this year--check out Tropical Storm Adrian in the Eastern Pacific. Since 1966, only four tropical cyclones have made landfall in Guatemala or El Salvador in any month, with only one landfalling depression in May. And there is a distinct possibility Adrian could become that rarest of beasts, a multi-ocean tropical cyclone. The storm is currently on track to cross Central America over Honduras, but a wide area of mountains 2000 - 3000 meters high could destroy it before it has a chance to emerge over the Caribbean Sea. However, if Adrian manages to achieve hurricane strength before landfall, the storm should survive the crossing and emerge over the Caribbean Sea as a tropical depression.

Once over the Caribbean, the chances for re-intensification look poor, as water temperatures there are much cooler than over the Eastern Pacific, and the amount of wind shear is high.

Seven tropical cyclones have made the crossing from Atlantic to Pacific, but only two have crossed from the Pacific to the Atlantic since records began:

Northeast Pacific Hurricane Cosme became Atlantic Tropical Storm Allison (June 1989).

A Northeast Pacific tropical storm (September-October 1949) became Atlantic Hurricane Storm #10 and made landfall in Texas.

The first tropical storm in the Atlantic is due to be named Arlene this year, but I've read that Adrian will keep its name. I guess the folks at NHC didn't want all the Arlenes of the world getting hassled about if they really used to be a man named Adrian. The downside for all the Arlenes, though, will be that they'll have to wait until 2011 to have a storm named after them!

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1. Lucretia 8:30 AM GMT on May 19, 2005
Living in Tampa, I have to say I'm happy Adrian looks like fizzling out before it gets anywhere near us. And what's the deal with the Atlantic sending their storms our way, anyway? I should think it'd be obvious we have plenty of our own!:)

2. Houstonia 3:10 PM GMT on May 20, 2005
Der... I think you mean the Pacific, right?? :-D Member Since: 20 mai 2003 Posts: 0 Comments: 71

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