User:Avenged Eightfold/Meteorological history of Hurricane Charley draft
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Storm track | |
| Formed | August 9, 2004 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | August 15, 2004 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 150 mph (240 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 941 mbar (hPa); 27.79 inHg |
| Areas affected | Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina |
| Part of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The meteorological history of Hurricane Charley, the third named storm and second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, lasted for approximately two weeks in August 2004. On August 4, a tropical wave formed off of the coast of West Africa, and became organized as it headed into the Caribbean Sea. On August 9, it was designated Tropical Depression Three by the National Hurricane Center. As the system moved farther into the Caribbean Sea, it encountered a strong area of high pressure. This caused it to move on a westward track as it strengthened under favorable development conditions, becoming organized enough to be designated Tropical Storm Charley on October 10.
Charley strengthened steadily over the central area of the Caribbean Sea, and was designated a Category 1 (SSHS) hurricane as it approached the coast of Jamaica on October 11. Charley did not make direct landfall on Jamaica, although it did pass close to Jamaica's southwest coast, bringing wind and rain. Charley then turned to the northwest on a path towards the Cayman Islands and Cuba, strengthening to a Category 2 storm as it passed Grand Cayman Island on August 12. After passing close to the Isle of Youth, Charley intensified before making its first landfall on the coast of Cuba on August 13, bringing winds of 125 miles per hour (200 k/hr). The hurricane weakened over Cuba, bringing its wind speeds down to 110 mph (177 kph). On August 13, Charley passed over the Dry Tortugas and came into contact with a strong mid-tropospheric trough in the Gulf of Mexico. This sent the storm to the northeast, taking it towards Florida.
Hurricane Charley made landfall on the southwestern coast of Florida late on August 13, bringing winds of 150 mph (240 kph). The eye passed over the city of Punta Gorda soon after, damaging the area considerably. On August 14, Charley passed over the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee while weakening to about 85 mph (138 kph), and soon tracked to the north-northeast. Charlie next moved off of the coast of Florida at Daytona Beach, and strengthened slightly over the Atlantic Ocean. The storm next made a minor second landfall in South Carolina before weakening and eventually weakened. After dissipating, Charlie's extra tropical system brought rain to the eastern United States.
Formation and strengthening
[edit]On August 4, a tropical wave along with a strong easterly jet streak moved off of the western coast of Africa.[1] At first, the storm's satellite pictures did not show the storm to be very significant. However, the storm became better organized as it moved across the Atlantic Ocean, and began to show some convection in its clouds by August 8.[1] Over the next 12 hours, the storm developed stronger bands of cyclonic convection. This, along with some observations made by scientists at the Windward Islands, confirmed that the storm had developed into a tropical depression by August 9 at 1200 UTC.[1] By this time, the storm's center of circulation was located approximately 100 nautical miles south-southeast of the island nation of Barbados.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Pasch, Richard J. (October 18, 2004). "Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Charley" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
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