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Hurricane Elida (2008)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Elida was the sixth tropical cyclone
, fifth named storm, and second hurricane of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season
. Elida formed out of a weak tropical wave which formed off the western coast of Central America on July 8. The wave remained poorly organized over the next two days before developing a surface low. The low was declared Tropical Depression Six-E on July 11 while located to the south of Guatemala
. The depression intensified into Tropical Storm Elida the next morning. It intensified steadily over the next two days before being upgraded to a hurricane. The storm fluctuated in intensity over the next several days before reaching its peak intensity on July 16 with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Elida slowly weakened as it passed over cooling waters and was downgraded to a tropical storm on July 18 and further downgraded to a tropical depression on July 19. The cyclone degenerated into a remnant low shortly after, and completely dissipated on July 21 over open waters.
which formed off the western coast of Central America
on July 8. It is possible that the wave formed in the Atlantic Ocean
, but there is little evidence to support this theory. The system remained poorly organized for two days before gaining enough convection
to be classified using the Dvorak technique
on July 10, while located 290 mi (465 km) south of Guatemala
. Later that day, a surface low developed but convection remained minimal. During the night and through the morning of July 11, convection increased sufficiently and a tropical cyclone formation alert
was issued. It was determined in the tropical cyclone report that by the end of the day, the storm had become Tropical Depression Six-E, six hours earlier than the operational data. At the time of the upgrade, the depression was located 360 mi (580 km) south-southeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico. The depression was moving towards the west-northwest at 16 mph (26 km/h) due to a low to mid-level ridge
located to the north of the storm.
The depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Elida early on July 12 while located 200 mi (370 km) south of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Elida's forward motion slowed somewhat to 14 mph (22 km/h) as it neared the southwestern edge of the mid-level ridge. The west-northwest movement was expected to continue for the duration of the storm. Deep convection developed around the center of circulation and a strong banding feature formed along the western side of the storm. Slow strengthening took place throughout the morning as the center remained underneath the deep convection. Outflow to the north of the storm was slightly restricted, indicating that there was some easterly wind shear
. During the afternoon, a well defined banding feature appeared in the northeastern semicircle of the storm. However, outflow to the north remained highly constricted. Elida began to move slightly faster, still being influenced by the mid-level ridge. The foreword motion was forecast to slow down in the two to three day range as it moved away from the ridge. Overnight, wind shear began to weaken and outflow to the north of Elida was established. By the morning of July 13, banding features and outflow were present all around the storm, but wind shear managed to keep the center of Elida slightly displaced from the deepest convection. A weakening mid to upper-level trough located just west of Baja California
was forecasted to move towards the west over the next two to three days. The movement of the trough would allow the ridge to build westward. This would cause Elida to make a westerly turn. Later in the morning, the wind shear lessened and the overall symmetry of Elida improved. In the early afternoon, a burst of convection near the center of Elida had formed and weakened and the structure remained unchanged and the storm still did not have signs of a developing eyewall
. During the night, Elida still failed to develop an eyewall. However, by this point the shear had lessened significantly from its level at the storm's formation and strengthening was anticipated.
In the early afternoon hours, Tropical Storm Elida was upgraded to Hurricane Elida due to a satellite indication of an eye forming at the lower levels in the storm. However, this was not apparent from visible satellite image, as it was covered by the central dense overcast. In the late morning hours, the eye continued to develop and Elida intensified slightly. A ragged eye appeared in the afternoon as the structure of the storm improved. At this point, forecasters thought the Elida had peaked in intensity or was near its peak. Elida's motion slowed to 10 mph (16 km/h) and shifted from a west-northwest direction to a westerly direction as the ridge located to the north of the storm began influencing the trajectory. The eye disappeared shortly after but the intensity was kept at 85 mph (135 km/h). By the morning of July 15, easterly wind shear began to increase, causing Elida to become less symmetrical. The wind shear persisted through the morning and slowly weakened the storm. By the afternoon, Elida was barely holding onto hurricane status as both wind shear and cooling weakened the system. Overnight, Elida became better organized as convection wrapped around an eye which was discovered by a microwave satellite despite shear remaining at a modest intensity.
On the morning of July 16, the eye appeared on infrared
satellite and cirrus
outflow improved all around the system. However, Elida was nearing the 26°C (78°F) isotherm, which is the lowest water temperature required for a tropical cyclone. The mid-level ridge to the north of Elida was now forecast to move with the storm, ensuring westward motion and slightly increasing the foreword speed to 12 mph (19 km/h). Elida maintained this general motion for the duration of its existence with some minor fluctuation in speed and an eventual southerly tilt. The eye quickly disappeared from infrared satellite later in the morning, but deep convection persisted on the eastern side of the center of circulation. In the afternoon, an eye appeared embedded in the deep convection and Elida intensified into a category two
hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/) while located 630 mi (1015 km) southwest of Cabo San Lucas
, Mexico
. By the nighttime hours, the cloud tops in the northern semicircle of Elida warmed but the intensity remained unchanged. On the morning of July 17, cold waters began to take their toll on Elida and the eye became cloud filled and less distinct. In the late morning, Elida weakened to a category one hurricane as determined in the tropical cyclone report. Operationally, it was thought to have maintained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). Despite continuing deep convection near the center of Elida and even an embedded eye, the center was lagging behind, making the storm slightly tilted. Elida produced a large amount of deep convection overnight, but the winds continued to lessen. The storm continued to move over colder waters, but wind shear was forecast to lessen, leading to slow, steady weakening.
By the morning of July 18, cloud tops associated with Elida warmed and the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. Despite being over very cool waters, Elida managed to maintain a small area of deep convection as it slowly weakened. In the afternoon, the cold water took its toll on Elida. Most of the convection had dissipated and all that remained, save a small area of deep convection to the west of the center, was a swirl of clouds. The small area of convection shifted to the east side of the center overnight, allowing Elida to remain a tropical storm with winds barely at 40 mph (65 km/h). By the morning of July 19, Elida was traversing waters of 23°C (73°F) and all the deep convection had dissipated. Due to the lack of convection, Elida was downgraded to a tropical depression. Cold waters prevented any convection from redeveloping in the late morning, and it was unlikely that any convection would form. Elida was later declared a remnant low that afternoon as the system had been devoid of convection for twelve hours. The remnant low continued moving towards the west-southwest before dissipating into an open trough on July 21 while located 690 mi (1,110 km) east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands
.
, Guerrero
, Michoacan
, Colima
and Jalisco
. In Nayarit
, Elida produced storms that dropped torrential rainfall and hail
that injured at least one person. The rainfall resulted in the formation of a lake roughly 45 cm (17.7 in) deep. Several trees feel, blocking streets for several hours. Street flooding reached a depth of 20 cm (7.9 in), inundating shops and some homes. Indirect effects, such as large swells, were felt along the Mexican coastline as the storm produced waves up to 4 m (13.1 ft). However, as trade winds increased during the middle of July, the remnants of Elida brought rainfall to east-facing slopes of the Island of Hawaii and Maui
. Frequent rain showers produced 2 to 6 in (50.8 to 152.4 mm) of precipitation in those regions, but no significant flooding occurred.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
, fifth named storm, and second hurricane of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season
2008 Pacific hurricane season
The 2008 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started May 15, 2008 in the eastern Pacific, started on June 1, 2008 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2008....
. Elida formed out of a weak tropical wave which formed off the western coast of Central America on July 8. The wave remained poorly organized over the next two days before developing a surface low. The low was declared Tropical Depression Six-E on July 11 while located to the south of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The depression intensified into Tropical Storm Elida the next morning. It intensified steadily over the next two days before being upgraded to a hurricane. The storm fluctuated in intensity over the next several days before reaching its peak intensity on July 16 with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Elida slowly weakened as it passed over cooling waters and was downgraded to a tropical storm on July 18 and further downgraded to a tropical depression on July 19. The cyclone degenerated into a remnant low shortly after, and completely dissipated on July 21 over open waters.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Elida developed out of a weak tropical waveTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
which formed off the western coast of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
on July 8. It is possible that the wave formed in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, but there is little evidence to support this theory. The system remained poorly organized for two days before gaining enough convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
to be classified using the Dvorak technique
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
on July 10, while located 290 mi (465 km) south of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Later that day, a surface low developed but convection remained minimal. During the night and through the morning of July 11, convection increased sufficiently and a tropical cyclone formation alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
was issued. It was determined in the tropical cyclone report that by the end of the day, the storm had become Tropical Depression Six-E, six hours earlier than the operational data. At the time of the upgrade, the depression was located 360 mi (580 km) south-southeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico. The depression was moving towards the west-northwest at 16 mph (26 km/h) due to a low to mid-level ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
located to the north of the storm.
The depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Elida early on July 12 while located 200 mi (370 km) south of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Elida's forward motion slowed somewhat to 14 mph (22 km/h) as it neared the southwestern edge of the mid-level ridge. The west-northwest movement was expected to continue for the duration of the storm. Deep convection developed around the center of circulation and a strong banding feature formed along the western side of the storm. Slow strengthening took place throughout the morning as the center remained underneath the deep convection. Outflow to the north of the storm was slightly restricted, indicating that there was some easterly wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. During the afternoon, a well defined banding feature appeared in the northeastern semicircle of the storm. However, outflow to the north remained highly constricted. Elida began to move slightly faster, still being influenced by the mid-level ridge. The foreword motion was forecast to slow down in the two to three day range as it moved away from the ridge. Overnight, wind shear began to weaken and outflow to the north of Elida was established. By the morning of July 13, banding features and outflow were present all around the storm, but wind shear managed to keep the center of Elida slightly displaced from the deepest convection. A weakening mid to upper-level trough located just west of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
was forecasted to move towards the west over the next two to three days. The movement of the trough would allow the ridge to build westward. This would cause Elida to make a westerly turn. Later in the morning, the wind shear lessened and the overall symmetry of Elida improved. In the early afternoon, a burst of convection near the center of Elida had formed and weakened and the structure remained unchanged and the storm still did not have signs of a developing eyewall
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. During the night, Elida still failed to develop an eyewall. However, by this point the shear had lessened significantly from its level at the storm's formation and strengthening was anticipated.
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
satellite and cirrus
Cirrus cloud
Cirrus clouds are atmospheric clouds generally characterized by thin, wispy strands, giving them their name from the Latin word cirrus meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair...
outflow improved all around the system. However, Elida was nearing the 26°C (78°F) isotherm, which is the lowest water temperature required for a tropical cyclone. The mid-level ridge to the north of Elida was now forecast to move with the storm, ensuring westward motion and slightly increasing the foreword speed to 12 mph (19 km/h). Elida maintained this general motion for the duration of its existence with some minor fluctuation in speed and an eventual southerly tilt. The eye quickly disappeared from infrared satellite later in the morning, but deep convection persisted on the eastern side of the center of circulation. In the afternoon, an eye appeared embedded in the deep convection and Elida intensified into a category two
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/) while located 630 mi (1015 km) southwest of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. By the nighttime hours, the cloud tops in the northern semicircle of Elida warmed but the intensity remained unchanged. On the morning of July 17, cold waters began to take their toll on Elida and the eye became cloud filled and less distinct. In the late morning, Elida weakened to a category one hurricane as determined in the tropical cyclone report. Operationally, it was thought to have maintained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). Despite continuing deep convection near the center of Elida and even an embedded eye, the center was lagging behind, making the storm slightly tilted. Elida produced a large amount of deep convection overnight, but the winds continued to lessen. The storm continued to move over colder waters, but wind shear was forecast to lessen, leading to slow, steady weakening.
By the morning of July 18, cloud tops associated with Elida warmed and the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. Despite being over very cool waters, Elida managed to maintain a small area of deep convection as it slowly weakened. In the afternoon, the cold water took its toll on Elida. Most of the convection had dissipated and all that remained, save a small area of deep convection to the west of the center, was a swirl of clouds. The small area of convection shifted to the east side of the center overnight, allowing Elida to remain a tropical storm with winds barely at 40 mph (65 km/h). By the morning of July 19, Elida was traversing waters of 23°C (73°F) and all the deep convection had dissipated. Due to the lack of convection, Elida was downgraded to a tropical depression. Cold waters prevented any convection from redeveloping in the late morning, and it was unlikely that any convection would form. Elida was later declared a remnant low that afternoon as the system had been devoid of convection for twelve hours. The remnant low continued moving towards the west-southwest before dissipating into an open trough on July 21 while located 690 mi (1,110 km) east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Preparations and impact
Due to the proximity of Elida to Mexico, the Government of Mexico warned residents about the possibility of heavy rains from the outer edges of the storm. Thunderstorms related to Elida developed over OaxacaOaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, Michoacan
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, Colima
Colima
Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....
and Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. In Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
, Elida produced storms that dropped torrential rainfall and hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
that injured at least one person. The rainfall resulted in the formation of a lake roughly 45 cm (17.7 in) deep. Several trees feel, blocking streets for several hours. Street flooding reached a depth of 20 cm (7.9 in), inundating shops and some homes. Indirect effects, such as large swells, were felt along the Mexican coastline as the storm produced waves up to 4 m (13.1 ft). However, as trade winds increased during the middle of July, the remnants of Elida brought rainfall to east-facing slopes of the Island of Hawaii and Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Frequent rain showers produced 2 to 6 in (50.8 to 152.4 mm) of precipitation in those regions, but no significant flooding occurred.
See also
- Timeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane seasonTimeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane seasonBelow is the Timeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season, documenting all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation. The 2008 Pacific hurricane season officially began on May 15, 2008, and will last until November 30. For...
- List of Hawaii hurricanes
- Other storms of the same name
External links
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Elida
- The NHC's Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Elida
- The NHC's Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Eastern Pacific