Weird cyclones - Impressive cyclones

[Ad Novoxium]

I forgot Hurricane Allen. It moved at 20 knots, and never once hit land while at it until the Gulf Coast landfall. The strangest part of the hurricane? It strengthened with the help of WIND SHEAR.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_w ... elim01.gif

[bob rulz]

Cyclone Leon-Eline, for forming in the eastern Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of Indonesia, moving westward across the entire ocean, slamming into Madagascar, popping off the other side as a depression, and then redeveloping explosively into an estimated 135kt before mauling Mozambique. It's remnant swirl was visible all the way across southern Africa and the Kalahari desert, well into the South Atlantic (where it was briefly speculated it might redevelop once again).

Wow, look at the track for this storm. Insane!


Of course, if that one is mentioned, then I think Ioke has to be mentioned for sake of pure impressiveness (although not necessarily strangeness).



The track really blows my mind every time, but I wouldn't necessarily call it strange. But worth mentioning nonetheless.

[Cyclenall]

I forgot Hurricane Allen. It moved at 20 knots, and never once hit land while at it until the Gulf Coast landfall. The strangest part of the hurricane? It strengthened with the help of WIND SHEAR.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_w ... elim01.gif

I like how it states that it was unusual for a Cape Verde storm to form in early August...try both Bertha's from 1996 and 2008 alike!

Wind shear in the Caribbean helping tropical cyclones strengthen must not have been as understood as it is now.

[Mecklenburg]

Hurricane Ethel of 1960... was a very uncanny one...

Developed on September 14, strengthened to cat 5 24 hrs. later with winds of 140 knots and minimum pressure of 981??? maintained intensity for 6 hours in the gulf of Mexico only to be downgraded to Category 1 before making landfall in Mississippi... what a weird storm... how did it get to cat. 5 at 981 mB?

[Squarethecircle]

981 was measured at landfall. However, 972 was measured by recon, which is also kind of bizarre.

Ethel was strange. I think the NHC really, really pulled the trigger on that one without thinking. I would not hesitate to say that, at most, it was a moderate to strong category 3. It would not be beyond credibility to say that the equipment might have gotten a faulty reading. Also, flight level winds back then were often accepted as equivalent to surface winds, but that would still leave Ethel a fairly strong 4, which I think is also a bit of a stretch.

The thing that really, really makes me believe that the entire thing was somehow messed up is that the storm weakened that much in such a short amount of time after strengthening almost as fast, with only a few hours delay.

However, the NHC is official and the final voice on the subject, and I'm just one person saying that Ethel wasn't a category 5, so I can't really be trusted. Someone else probably knows a few important things about Ethel I don't, and if they do, I'd be glad to hear an explanation.

[MiamiensisWx]

The HURDAT database is swamped with flawed data. Ethel 1960 is a well established example.

The maximum sustained winds of a TC are influenced and calculated by the gradient balance (based on the hurricane/TS 1-min wind radii), surrounding ambient pressures, and the pressure gradient. It is not impossible for a hurricane to attain higher maximum winds with a minimum central pressure near ~972 mb. However, I have not seen any corrobating evidence to suggest Ethel exhibited a very small wind radii. Additionally, wind readings prior to modern instruments and improved testing techniques may be suspect, and reconnaissance data is not excluded. In the end, it is very likely that Ethel peaked below major hurricane intensity; Category 2 intensity (~85 kt?) may be a decent estimate.

Ethel TCR for future reference:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1960/ethel/prenhc/

[HarlequinBoy]

Yeah, I don't think there is any chance Ethel was a Cat 5.

[arkestra]

Of course, if that one is mentioned, then I think Ioke has to be mentioned for sake of pure impressiveness (although not necessarily strangeness).



The track really blows my mind every time, but I wouldn't necessarily call it strange. But worth mentioning nonetheless.

Ioke is my favourite hurricane: powerful, unusual, no injuries, beautiful, long-lasting, record-breaking...

[Ptarmigan]

Yeah, I don't think there is any chance Ethel was a Cat 5.

I never thought Ethel was a Cat 5. More like a Cat 1 or 2, possibly a Cat 3 at most. With that pressure, Ethel would have in an environment with higher ambient pressure.

[Mecklenburg]

Hurricane 12 of 1975... formed on one of the most bizarre locations, even reached hurricane at 40degreesN in the pacific, almost made landfall in the Alaska panhandle

[Mecklenburg]

there are many more to mention...

[Mecklenburg]

Hurricane One of 1908: Category 2...in MARCH?!?

it even has a downward track moving from 26N to 13N

[yzerfan]

Ethel was strange. I think the NHC really, really pulled the trigger on that one without thinking. I would not hesitate to say that, at most, it was a moderate to strong category 3. It would not be beyond credibility to say that the equipment might have gotten a faulty reading. Also, flight level winds back then were often accepted as equivalent to surface winds, but that would still leave Ethel a fairly strong 4, which I think is also a bit of a stretch.

The thing that really, really makes me believe that the entire thing was somehow messed up is that the storm weakened that much in such a short amount of time after strengthening almost as fast, with only a few hours delay.

While the data set from that era is undoubtedly incomplete and flawed, it's not unusual to see a storm do a big bomb out and then fade almost as quickly when it takes that kind of north-central track through the Gulf of Mexico. Lili 2002 also had that kind of pattern in that location.

[Squarethecircle]

Ethel was strange. I think the NHC really, really pulled the trigger on that one without thinking. I would not hesitate to say that, at most, it was a moderate to strong category 3. It would not be beyond credibility to say that the equipment might have gotten a faulty reading. Also, flight level winds back then were often accepted as equivalent to surface winds, but that would still leave Ethel a fairly strong 4, which I think is also a bit of a stretch.

The thing that really, really makes me believe that the entire thing was somehow messed up is that the storm weakened that much in such a short amount of time after strengthening almost as fast, with only a few hours delay.

While the data set from that era is undoubtedly incomplete and flawed, it's not unusual to see a storm do a big bomb out and then fade almost as quickly when it takes that kind of north-central track through the Gulf of Mexico. Lili 2002 also had that kind of pattern in that location.

Lili was acceptably strange. Ethel was insane (perhaps even retarded).

[Honeyko]

Isabel's eye-vortices and clear-air exhaust channel striation-grooves along the top of the CDO:

(Set speed to Fast, and click Rock.)

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/archi ... l-eye.html

According to the planes, Isabel's eyewall radar signature ranged from circular to pentagonal to starfish-shaped.

==//==

[bob rulz]

Of course, if that one is mentioned, then I think Ioke has to be mentioned for sake of pure impressiveness (although not necessarily strangeness).



The track really blows my mind every time, but I wouldn't necessarily call it strange. But worth mentioning nonetheless.

Ioke is my favourite hurricane: powerful, unusual, no injuries, beautiful, long-lasting, record-breaking...

Indeed it's one of my favorites as well. Wasn't it the longest-lasting major cyclone on record?

I'm sure once the ongoing tropical cyclone re-analysis gets to 1960, Ethel will be downgraded to at most a cat 3.

[Chacor]

Hurricane/Typhoon John was a major.

[Ad Novoxium]

I think they meant consecutive periods as a major. In that case, Ioke was the longest lasting at Cat 4 or higher intensity.

[CycloneNL]

Cyclone Gonu 2007 - Cat. 5 in Arabian Sea.


Cyclone Zoe 2002 - Cat. 5 with 890hPa


Cyclone Mudka 2006


Cyclone Onil 2004 - 2 landfalls in India


Tropical Storm Marty 1996 - Forms in china


Typhoon Paka 1997 - Lived 24 days

[weatherSnoop]

Did not see this one posted...Erin 2007