2005 Pacific hurricane season
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The 2005 Pacific hurricane season officially began May 15, 2005 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 2005 in the central Pacific, and will last until November 30, 2005. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is confined to those storms monitored by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, which is all tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean in the northern hemisphere east of 140 degrees west longitude (140W), and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Hawaii, which monitors tropical cyclones from 180W (the international date line) to 140W. Tropical depressions that form east of 140W have "-E" (Eastern) appended to the number, storms that form west of 140W have "-C" (Central) appended. Storms that form west of the dateline are called typhoons and beyond the scope of this article, unless they move east across it.
Pre-season forecasts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a slow year, with only a 10% chance of above-average storm activity in the eastern North Pacific and a 70% chance of below-normal activity. The pre-season forecast predicts 11 to 15 tropical storms, 6 to 8 hurricanes, and 2 to 4 becoming major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale).[1]
The forecast for the central North Pacific was for a below-average season, with only two or three storms impacting the region, below the normal four to five.[2]
Storms
Hurricane Adrian
- Main article: Hurricane Adrian
An early storm, Adrian formed on May 17, only two days after the season began. It strengthened from a tropical depression about 440 miles (710 km) southwest of Guatemala and El Salvador and began tracking northeast towards San Salvador, and reached hurricane strength on the morning of May 19. It turned east and made landfall in Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca late on May 19, after weakening offshore to tropical depression strength. It weakened rapidly once onshore, dissipating over the mountains of Honduras. Three indirect deaths are linked to the storm, but according to the NHC's May Summary [3], released June 1, no direct deaths had been reported. Damage figures are not yet available.
The north-easterly track of this storm was extremely unusual. Only four tropical systems had been recorded to have made landfall in Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966. The only named system ever to do so was Tropical Storm Andres on June 7, 1997, near San Salvador. The storm was also somewhat rare in how early it was; hurricanes form in May only once about every four years.
For the official forecasts, see the NHC's archive on Hurricane Adrian.
Timeline of events
May
- May 17
- May 19
- 10:15 am PDT (1715 UTC) - Tropical Storm Adrian strengthens into Hurricane Adrian.
- 11 pm PDT (0600 UTC May 20) - Adrian weakens to a tropical depression and makes landfall on the Gulf of Fonseca coast, Honduras.
- May 20
- 8 am PDT (1500 UTC) - Adrian quickly dissipates over Honduras.
June
2005 storm names
The following names will be used for named storms that form in the northeast Pacific in 2005. This is the same list that was used in the 1999 season. Names that have not yet been assigned are marked in gray. Storms that form in the central Pacific are given names from a sequential list; if any are used, they will be mentioned separately. Bold names are currently active.
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