4/30/2023 0 Comments Hurricane season![]() Seasonal forecasts Predictions of tropical activity in the 2023 season Source In Central America, rainfall claimed at least 2,000 lives, with Alpha being the worst and wettest storm of the year for the region. The most devastated area was a portion of the Spanish coast, from the city of Huelva to the city of Cadiz, where storm surge reaching at least 15 feet (4.57 meters), rainfall exceeding 20 inches, and winds reaching 140 mph caused catastrophic damage, previously unseen in Europe. The most affected areas were Madeira, Spain, Central America, Jamaica, and Cuba. Arlene, Idalia, Sean, and Alpha were the only systems to make landfall at hurricane intensity or above, while Emily, Jose, Katia, Nigel, and Philippe never made landfall at any intensity. Of all the major hurricanes, only Arlene made landfall at major hurricane intensity, with a landfall in Porto Santo island as a category 3, and a landfall in mainland Spain as a category 4. The season featured six major hurricanes - category 5 hurricanes Don, Emily, and Harold, category 4 hurricanes Arlene and Jose, and the only category 3 hurricane, Idalia. ![]() Three more weak storms followed, before the last system of the season, Alpha, developed in late December, and made landfall in Nicaragua as a category 1 hurricane, bringing devastating rainfall. After Jose, the season produced a streak of weak storms, from Katia to Rina, before Hurricane Sean developed in November, and struck several islands as a hurricane before striking Puerto Rico as a storm. Jose was the final of major hurricanes, a high end category 4 hurricane that nearly became the record-tying fourth category 5 hurricane of the season as it moved across the Northern Atlantic, hitting no land areas. Idalia was a major hurricane that struck Jamaica as a category 1 and Cuba as a category 2, before peaking at category 3 status in the northern Atlantic, later striking Canada as a weak tropical storm. Franklin and Gert were both weak tropical storms in late August, while Harold was the final of three category 5 hurricanes, threatening the United States East Coast for some time before moving off into the open waters. It was also the most intense and strongest storm of the season, at 185 mph and 901 mbar. Emily was a category 5 that struck no land areas across its nearly record breaking path, producing 69.17 ACE units along the way. Don was the first of three long tracked category 5 hurricanes as it moved across the Atlantic without hitting land areas, later making landfall in New Jersey as a tropical storm. Bret was a weak storm that existed in the Bay of Campeche in August, while Cindy was an extremely short lasting tropical cyclone, also in August, as it struck Florida. The first system of the season, Arlene, eventually intensified into a category 4 hurricane as it made landfall in Spain. The season was highly notable for using the Greek alphabet for the second time in history, after Tropical Storm Alpha formed on December 24 and later intensified into a hurricane. ![]() 22 named storms formed, of which 8 became hurricanes, and 6 became major hurricanes. The season officially began on June 1, 2023, and lasted until November 30, however the first named storm, Arlene formed two months after the season started on August 1, while the last storm, Alpha, dissipated almost a month after it ended - on December 25. Overall, the season's damage total reached $58.844 billion (2023 USD), while the death toll reached at least 2,270. Arlene became the sixth costliest Atlantic hurricane at the time, with a damage toll of $57 billion (2023 USD), while Alpha became the wettest and deadliest December Atlantic tropical cyclone, killing at least 2,000 on Christmas day in Central America. It also featured the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in Europe, category 4 hurricane Arlene, the only major hurricane to do so in recorded history. It was the second Atlantic season to entirely use its naming list, and to then name a storm after a Greek letter, after 2005. ![]() It was the third most active Atlantic hurricane season by Accumulated Cyclone Energy, and the second most active by the number of named storms, at 22. The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was the first in a row of active seasons caused by the 2023 - 2025 La Nina event. ![]()
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