CFHCAdministrator
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Wed May 15 2002 09:53 AM
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Starts Today

May 15th is the first day of the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which 15 days before the Atlantic one.
Activity in the Pacific many years seems inversly related to the Atlantic. (If the Pacific is super busy, the Atlantic is a dud, and vice versa). However some of the past several years, that's been wrong. An average Pacific season includes 15 named storms, with 9 hurricanes.

The eastern pacific basin includes any storms that form in the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of 140oW.
This year's Eastern Pacific Storm names are:

Alma, Boris, Christina, Douglas, Elida, Fausto, Genevive, Hernan, Iselle, Julio, Kenna, Lowell, Marie, Norbert, Odile, Polo, Rachel, Simon, Trudy, Vance, Winnie, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke

Most Pacific storms don't threaten land, although the ones that do usually effect Mexico or islands off its coast. Sometimes the storms will near California (but rapidly weaken because of colder water) and bring rain to the Southwest.. Occasionally storms will work its way close to Hawaii and become Central Pacific Storms. Western Pacific storms are called Typhoons, and Southern Hemisphere Storms in the Indian ocean are usually referred to as just Tropical Cyclones. (Northern coast of Australia has to deal with them... luckily most of that part of Australia isn't populated.)

Last year Hurricane Adolf made it to category 4 status in the early season on May 28th. Which is very unsual for the Eastern Pacific. I doubt will see a repeat of that this year, but if you are "pining for something to track" the eastern Pacific is the spot to watch right now.

We focus squarely on Atlantic systems on flhurricane.com, and only mention Pacific ones in passing (with the notible exception if they threaten Hawaii). Typhoons and Cyclones aren't covered at all. We have limited time and focus on what we know.

Today there is nothing going on in the Atlantic or Pacific really of note tropically.


- [mac]



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