Why I won't laugh at this... I know the odds are slim, but down here we might be construed as superstitious about declaring "it's over", even this late. And we do pay attention to the western Caribbean. Here's why.
In November 1999, I remember watching with growing concern an area of clouds and convection in the western Caribbean. For several days, it meanered around, disorganized, but it didn't go away.
It became an invest, then a storm.
late on the 9th - invest
Lenny - a depression with an eye!
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1999lenny.htmlHurricane Lenny was the fifth category-four hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS) of the 1999 season - a record. This hurricane had a major impact on numerous land areas in the Caribbean Sea. Moreover, Lenny was the first storm to have an extended west-to-east track across the central and eastern Caribbean Sea in the 113-year Atlantic tropical cyclone record.
a. Synoptic History
A broad area of low pressure was first identified in the southwest Caribbean Sea early on 8 November. Later that day, there was sufficient convective banding to warrant a T1.0 Dvorak satellite-based intensity classification from the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) at TPC. Although thunderstorm activity associated with the low remained poorly organized, locally heavy rains and strong gusty winds occurred over the northwest Caribbean Sea and adjacent portions of Central America and Mexico for several days. On 12 November, a U.S. Air Force Reserve (USAFR) Hurricane Hunter aircraft investigated the disturbance but failed to find a well-defined surface circulation center. Early on the 13th, satellite imagery showed that the system was gradually becoming better organized. Later that afternoon the Hurricane Hunters found 30 knot surface winds and a 1003 mb central pressure. Tropical Depression Sixteen formed about 150 n mi south of the Cayman Islands at 1800 UTC 13 November (This is when the best track begins in Table 1 and Figure 1). By mid morning of the 14th, the overall organization of the depression was improving and the depression was estimated to have become Tropical Storm Lenny at 1200 UTC 14 November.
HURRICANE LENNY FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 18
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL AL1699
2100Z WED NOV 17 1999
AT 5 PM AST...2100 UTC...THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR MAINLAND PUERTO
RICO HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM WARNING. A HURRICANE
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CULEBRA...VIEQUES...THE U.S. AND
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT
FOR DUTCH ST. MAARTEN...FRENCH ST. MARTIN...ST. BARTHELEMEY...
ANGUILLA...SABA...ST. EUSTATIUS...ST. KITTS...NEVIS...MONTSERRAT...
ANTIGUA...AND BARBUDA.
HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.6N 64.3W AT 17/2100Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 30 NM
PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST OR 50 DEGREES AT 8 KT
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 934 MB
EYE DIAMETER 20 NM
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 130 KT WITH GUSTS TO 160 KT
64 KT....... 50NE 60SE 45SW 25NW
50 KT....... 75NE 120SE 60SW 40NW
34 KT.......100NE 180SE 125SW 90NW
12 FT SEAS..150NE 300SE 300SW 150NW
HURRICANE LENNY DISCUSSION NUMBER 18
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
4 PM EST WED NOV 17 1999
LENNY CONTINUES TO MOVE ON A GENERAL NORTHEASTWARD TRACK ABOUT 8
KNOTS. BECAUSE THE STEERING CURRENTS CONTROLLING THE PATH OF THE
HURRICANE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE...THIS GENERAL NORTHEASTWARD
MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH 72 HOURS. THIS IS CONSISTENT
WITH MOST THE TRACK AND GLOBAL MODELS AND PREVIOUS FORECASTS.
THE SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THE DAY IS THE UNEXPECTED INTENSIFICATION
OF LENNY...INDICATING THAT THERE IS LITTLE SKILL IN FORECASTING
RAPID INTENSITY CHANGES. THE CENTRAL PRESSURE EXTRAPOLATED FROM 700
MB HAS FALLEN TO 927 MB WHILE A DROP MEASURED 934 MB. THE
FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 149 KNOTS. THE MEAN BOUNDARY
LAYER WINDS FROM DROPSONDES ARE 155 KNOTS AND PEAK WINDS REACHED 180
KNOTS AT THE 891-MB LEVEL A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO. BASED ON THAT
INFORMATION...INITIAL INTENSITY WAS ADJUSTED TO 130 KNOTS.
LENNY IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR/SIMPSON SCALE.
the eye on 17th