Hurricane Gilma (1994)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Gilma
Type=hurricane
Year=1994
Basin=EPac
Image location= Hurricane Gilma 25 july 1994 0047Z.jpg


Formed=July 21, 1994
Dissipated=July 31, 1994
1-min winds=140
Pressurepre=≤
Pressure=920
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=None
Areas=Johnston Atoll
Hurricane season=1994 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Gilma of the 1994 Pacific hurricane season was one of the strongest Pacific hurricanes on record. Although it impacted no inhabited land, Gilma reached Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Its minimum known pressure of 920 millibars makes it the strongest Pacific hurricane on record in the month of July and the sixth-strongest overall.

Meteorological history

Gilma began as a tropical wave that crossed the Atlantic Ocean and North America in the first half of July. Upon entering the Pacific, thunderstorms consolidated, and part of the wave organized into a tropical depression on July 21. It headed westward and out to sea, strengthening into a tropical storm on July 22, when it was named Gilma. Due to its rapid strengthening, Gilma became a hurricane exactly 24 hours after being named. In a very favorable environment, the cyclone attained winds of convert|130|kn|km/h on July 24. Its intensification then slowed as it crossed 140°W and entered the area of responsibility of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994-prelim/gilma/prelim01.gif|title=Preliminary Report Hurricane Gilma|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Richard J. Pasch|date=1995-01-20|format=GIF|pages=1|accessdate=2008-07-06] Gilma was the fourth tropical cyclone to cross into the Central Pacific that July; the only season that had more is 1978, with 5.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994/gilma/tropdisc/tcd3103z.gif|format=GIF|publisher=National Hurricane Center|title=Tropical Depression Gilma Discussion Number 40|author=Hablutzel|date=1994-07-30|accessdate=2008-08-18|format=GIF]

Shortly after entering the central Pacific, Gilma reached its peak windspeed of convert|140|kn|km/h, which made it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It then suddenly weakened for unexplained reasons, and weakened into a tropical storm on July 27. It became a depression on July 30 and dissipated the next day while south of Midway.cite web|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1994.php|title=The 1994 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-06]

Forecasting, impact and records

Gilma's track was well-forecast due to the steady westward path it took for most of its life. By contrast, its intensity was often underforecast.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994-prelim/gilma/prelim02.gif|title=Preliminary Report Hurricane Gilma|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Richard J. Pasch|date=1995-01-20|format=GIF|pages=2|accessdate=2008-08-18] Although it was operationally "forecast" to become a Category 5 hurricane,cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994/gilma/tropdisc/nep0794.012|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=1994-07-23|accessdate=2008-08-18|author=Avila|title=Hurricane Gilma Discussion Number 12|format=GIF] it was never at that intensity in real time.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994/gilma/marine/tcm2409z.gif|title=Hurricane Gilma Marine Advisory Number 13|format=GIF|date=1994-07-24|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Sasaki|accessdate=2008-08-18] cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994/gilma/tropdisc/tcd2415z.gif|accessdate=2008-08-18|date=1994-07-24|title=Hurricane Gilma Discussion Number 14|author=Rosendal|format=GIF|publisher=National Hurricane Center] The hurricane's only impact was on Johnston Atoll. That island received light rain, wind gusts to near gale force, and some surf. No one was killed and no damage was reported.

Gilma's central pressure of convert|920|mb|hPa is the sixth lowest ever recorded in a Pacific hurricane and the lowest ever in July.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt|title=Eastern North Pacific Tracks File 1949-2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2008-03-21|format=plain text|accessdate=2008-08-18] Its one minute average sustained windspeed of convert|140|kn|km/h is part of the three way tie for second highest ever in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility.cite web|accessdate=2008-08-18|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/|title=Previous Tropical Systems in the Central Pacific|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center] Gilma is also the fifth known Pacific hurricane to reach Category 5 intensity on record in the Central Pacific and the second of a record three such cyclones in the 1994 Pacific hurricane season (since equaled by the 2002 season). Finally, Gilma is the strongest hurricane of its season. However, Gilma's lowest pressure record may be incomplete; the 920 millibar reading of pressure is at the first of four data points when Gilma was a Category 5 hurricane; that report is at the edge of a range typical of a Category 5 hurricane.cite web|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D1.html|author=Chris Landsea|accessdate=2008-08-28|publisher=National Hurricane Center|title=Subject: D1) How are Atlantic hurricanes ranked?] The remaining data points do not provide pressure levels because the source provided by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and used by the National Hurricane Center for storm path and intensity data, does not generally provide pressure readings.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994-prelim/gilma/prelim03.gif|title=Preliminary Report Hurricane Gilma|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Richard J. Pasch|date=1995-01-20|format=GIF|pages=3|accessdate=2008-08-28] cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1989-prelim/dalilia/prelim03.gif|title=Preliminary Report Hurricane Dalilia|author=Jim Gross|date=1989-08-30|format=GIF|pages=3|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-28]

Gilma's name was not retired after the 1994 season, and it was used again in the 2000 and 2006 seasons. At a conference in 2007, Gilma's name was proposed for retirement.cite web|url=http://www.ofcm.gov/ihc07/web-61st-IHC-Booklet.pdf|title=61st Interdepertmental Hurricane Conference|publisher=Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology|month=March|year=2007|pages=113|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-28] That proposal was not accepted and the name "Gilma" remains on the list for 2012.cite web|format=PDF|url=http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/tcp/documents/FactShtTCNames1July05.pdf|title=Fact Sheet Tropical Cyclone Names|page=4|date=2005-07-01|publisher=World Meteorological Organization|accessdate=2008-08-26]

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1994-prelim/gilma/ NHC Preliminary Report]
* [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1994.php#Gilma CPHC Report]
* [http://www.weather.unisys.com/hurricane/e_pacific/1994/GILMA/track.gifStorm path]