September 2012 Monthly Atlantic Tropical Weather Summary from the National Hurricane Center

Below are quotes and other information from the National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center’s September 2012 tropical weather summary for the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.  This report was issued by the Center at 800 a.m. EDT  on October 1, 2012.  Monthly summaries during the Atlantic tropical storm season (June 1-November 30) are available online at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml.

“Two tropical storms formed in the Atlantic basin during the month of September.  Both of these reached hurricane status, while Michael became the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season [Category 3 or higher].  These totals were below the long-term average (1981 to 2010) of four named storms and near the long-term averages of two to three hurricanes and one or two major hurricanes.

“In terms of accumulated cyclone energy, which measures the combined strength and duration of tropical storms and hurricanes, tropical cyclone activity so far this year is about 50 percent above the 1981-2010 average through the end of September in the Atlantic basin.”

Here is the Hurricane Center’s list of tropical storms (name, dates, and maximum wind speed in miles per hour) so far during the 2012 Atlantic season (H = hurricane; MH = major hurricane; TD = tropical depression; TS = tropical storm):

TS Alberto – 19-22 May – 60 mph
TS Beryl – 26-30 May – 70 mph
H  Chris – 19-22 Jun – 75 mph
TS Debby – 23-27 Jun – 60 mph
H  Ernesto – 1-10 Aug – 85 mph
TS Florence – 4-6 Aug – 60 mph
H  Gordon – 15-20 Aug – 110 mph
TS Helene – 9-18 Aug – 45 mph
H  Isaac – 21 Aug-1 Sep – 80 mph
TS Joyce – 22-24 Aug – 40 mph
H  Kirk – 28 Aug-2 Sep – 105 mph
H Leslie – 30 Aug-11 Sep – 75 mph
MH Michael – 3-11 Sep – 115 mph
H Nadine – 11 Sep-Current (10/2/12) – 90 mph

When completed, reports on individual storms (including tracks) are available online at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2012atlan.shtml.

Previous Water Central News Grouper posts on monthly tropical storm summaries for the current year are at the following links:
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012

Following is an infrared satellite photo of Hurricane Michael, as of 5:45 a.m. EDT (1245 UTC/Greenwich Mean Time) on 9/6/12.  Photo courtesy of NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center Facebook post on Sept. 6, 2012, accessed at http://www.facebook.com/US.NOAA.NationalHurricaneCenter.gov?ref=ts&fref=ts (10/2/12).

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