Hurricane Carlotta (2006)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Carlotta
Type=hurricane
Year=2006
Basin=EPac
Image location=Hurricane carlotta 2006.jpg


Formed=July 12, 2006
Dissipated=July 16, 2006
1-min winds=75
Pressure=981
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=None reported
Areas=Mexico
Hurricane season=2006 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Carlotta was a moderate Category 1 hurricane that produced light rainfall in Mexico during the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. The storm formed from a tropical wave that entered the Eastern Pacific basin on July 9. With the organization of the system coming together, the system became a tropical depression on the evening of July 11 (0000 UTC July 12). The fourth tropical depression of the season, the system continued to band together, strengthening into Tropical Storm Carlotta several hours later. Carlotta's rapid intensification continued, strengthening into a hurricane twelve hours later.

Carlotta continued to strengthen, peaking at 85 miles per hour (140 kilometres per hour) on July 13. The system afterward began to lose its convection, weakening into a tropical storm the next day. The wind shear that was affecting the system was reported to have weakened, and the storm became a hurricane once again on July 15. Later that same day, Carlotta weakened back into a tropical storm. The weakening process went unstirred, and Carlotta weakened into a tropical depression, weakening on July 16. The depression finally degenerated into a remnant low on the same day. During the process of strengthening, Carlotta dumped light rainfall on Mexico, but no damage or fatalities were reported.

Meteorological history

A tropical wave appeared off the African coast on June 30. Although convection from the wave remained minimal as it tracked across the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, it eventually entered the Eastern Pacific and strengthened. After entering the Eastern Pacific on July 9, banding had come together inside the circulation. By the next day, the circulation was at enough strength and organization to warrant classifications on the Dvorak scale. As the circulation continued to come together south of Acapulco, Mexico on July 11, the system strengthened into a tropical depression on 0000 July 12 south of Zihuatanejo.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep04/ep042006.public.001.shtml?|title=Tropical Depression Four-E Tropical Cyclone Advisory 1|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Stacy Stewart|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=July 11, 2006]

The system continued to the west-northwest, strengthening under a ridge of high pressure. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm the next morning, receiving the name of Carlotta.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep04/ep042006.public.002.shtml?|title=Tropical Storm Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Advisory 2|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Eric Blake/Richard Knabb|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=July 12, 2006] Carlotta eventually moved away from the Mexican coastcite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep04/ep042006.public.003.shtml?|title=Tropical Storm Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Advisory 3|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Richard Pasch|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=July 12, 2006] , strengthening into a hurricane 24 hours after becoming a tropical storm.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep04/ep042006.discus.006.shtml?|title=Hurricane Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Discussion 6|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Eric Blake/Richard Knabb|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=July 13, 2006] With warm temperatures and light wind shear in the area, Carlotta continued to come together. However, with the nearby Hurricane Bud causing Carlotta's foward motion to slow, the system weakened into a tropical storm once again on July 14, after peaking at 85 mph (140 km/h) winds the prior afternoon.

With the storm entering cooler waters, it continued to fall apart, but the shear continued to weaken, and Carlotta reformed its eye. After the comeback, the National Hurricane Center, returned the storm to a hurricane.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep04/ep042006.discus.013.shtml?|title=Hurricane Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Discssion 13|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=Jack Beven|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=July 15, 2006] However, this new strength did not remain, as Carlotta's eye once again disseminated. Six hours after becoming a hurricane once again, Carlotta weakened back into a tropical storm. The continual weakening of the system went unchanged, with Carlotta weakening into a tropical depression on July 16. The depression weakened into a remnant low that night, proving to be the end of Carlotta. The remains of Carlotta headed westward, dissipating hundreds of miles southeast of Hawaii.

Impact

The National Hurricane Center cited in their tropical cyclone report that Carlotta, while strengthening into a hurricane, produced light rainfall over Mexico. There were no reports of tropical storm-force winds over land, and the name Carlotta was not retired in the spring of 2007.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-EP042006_Carlotta.pdf|title=Hurricane Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=James L. Franklin|date=September 4, 2006|accessdate=2008-09-17] The name will go on for use in the 2012 Pacific hurricane season.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml|title=Hurricane Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=National Hurricane Center|author=National Hurricane Center|date=2008|accessdate=2008-09-17]

See also

*Other tropical cyclones named Carlotta

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/refresh/CARLOTTA+shtml/ Hurricane Carlotta Tropical Cyclone Advisory Archive]