TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY

3rd Quarter 2008 Summary

No tropical cyclones have adversely affected any locations within the USAPI during the past six months. Through October 2008, the JTWC numbered 23 tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific basin. This is close to the normal number that might be expected to occur, however, tropical cyclone activity in the western North Pacific has been very unusual through the heart of the 2008 typhoon season. The season started relatively slowly in the spring (although the month of May was busy), and the summer activity was displaced far from its usual location. One of the most extraordinary climate anomalies of 2008 has been the displacement of the western North Pacific tropical cyclone activity far to the north and west of normal. This behavior is typical of La Niña (especially those La Niña years that follow El Niño), and the degree to which the tropical cyclone activity was displaced during 2008 was not anticipated.

In the Central North Pacific, Hurricane Boris formed in the Eastern Pacific on July 1 but weakened to a tropical depression by July 4. Tropical Storm Elida developed in the East Pacific in July 12 and intensified to hurricane strength by July 14, becoming the second hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season. Upon reaching cooler waters of the Central Pacific, Hurricane Elida weakened briefly to a tropical storm on July 18 before dissipating into a disturbance well to the southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. The remnants of the former Hurricane Genevieve passed south of the Hawaiian islands August 3 - 4, bringing a brief boost to windward rainfall with peak 24-hour totals of 1 to 4 inches at several locations. On August 6, Tropical Storm Kika formed far southeast of Hawaii and moved harmlessly over open water, passing several hundred miles south of Johnston Atoll before dissipating. The remnants of Hurricane Hernan passed south of the Big Island of Hawaii on August 16, but did not provide much enhanced rainfall to the islands.

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The PEAC Center archives western North Pacific tropical cyclone numbers, track coordinates, and 1 minute average maximum sustained wind taken from operational warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the U. S. Air Force and Navy, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Western North Pacific tropical cyclone names are obtained from warnings issued by the Japan Meteorology Agency (JMA), which is the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for the western North Pacific basin. The PEAC Center archives South Pacific tropical cyclone names, track coordinates, central pressure, and 10 minute average maximum sustained wind estimates from advisories issued by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers at Brisbane, Nadi, and Wellington. The numbering scheme and the 1-minute average maximum sustained wind estimates are taken from warnings issued by the JTWC. There are sometimes differences in the statistics (e.g., storm maximum intensity) for a given tropical cyclone among the agencies that are noted in this summary, but the JTWC values are given precendence when available.