Hurricane Bud (2006)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Bud
Type=hurricane
Year=2006
Basin=Pac
Image location=Hurricane bud 2006.jpg


Formed=July 11, 2006
Dissipated=July 16, 2006
1-min winds=110
Pressure=953
Da

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

Hurricane Bud was the first hurricane and third named tropical cyclone of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. It formed as a tropical depression on July 10, to the south of the southern tip of Baja California. Shortly after, it became a tropical storm, and soon after the storm began to develop an eye. It began to intensify rapidly and was upgraded to a hurricane on July 11. Bud reached its peak intensity intensity on July 13, becoming a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale at its peak. After reaching cooler waters and an unfavorable environment, the hurricane rapidly weakened and dropped to a tropical depression status on July 15. The system continued to lose its convection and eventually degenerated by the next day. As the storm remained away from land, no effects were reported.

Meteorological history

On June 27, 2006, a tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa. Ir proceeded westward across the Atlantic Ocean and emerged into the eastern Pacific by July 7. The wave spawned an area of low pressure, about convert|630|mi|km|abbr=on to the south of Manzanillo, Mexico. Interest in the system grew over the next day, and convection gradually became better organized. Early on July 11, the low was designated as a tropical depression. The storm tracked west-northwestward throughout its entire duration, under the steering currents of a mid-level subtropical ridge which extended westward from northern Mexico.cite web|author=Richard D. Knabb|title=Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Bud|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-EP032006_Bud.pdf]

Initially, a small upper-level low pressure system to the north of the depression generated northerly wind shear and dry air, which inhibited the development of thunderstorm activity. However, after the tropical depression was designated, the low weakened, and the wind shear relented. [cite web|author=Stewart|title=Tropical Depression Three-E Discussion Number 1|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.001.shtml?] Located over warm waters, the storm attained tropical storm status at 0600 UTC on July 11, and as such it was named "Bud" by the National Hurricane Center. Subsequently, the storm quickly intensified. With more favorable conditions, the storm displayed a fairly organized banding pattern, and the previously exposed center of circulation became surrounded by convection. [cite web|author=Kinberlain & Roth|title=Tropical Storm Bud Discussion Number 4|year=2006|publisher=National Huirricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.004.shtml?] At 0000 UTC on July 12, the storm developed an eye and was upgraded to a hurricane. The convection surrounding the center deepened, and a burst of thunderstorm activity within the southeastern eyewall obscured the eye on satellite imagery. Outflow was well-established in all quadrants, though it was slightly restricted to the east, which was believed to have resulted from interaction with Tropical Storm Carlotta. [cite web|author=Knabb|title=Hurricane Bud Discussion Number 7|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.007.shtml?] Later on July 12, Bud was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

The storm attained major hurricane status as a Category 3 storm early on July 13. It presented a well-defined eye that was about Convert|23|mi|km|abbr=on in diameter, which was enveloped within by a complete ring of deep thunderstorms. A small cyclone, the area of winds contracted somewhat at around the same time. [cite web|author=Knabb|title=Hurricane Bud Discussion Number 11|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.011.shtml?] At 0600 UTC that day, the hurricane reached its peak intensity, with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 953 mb. Subsequently encountering cooler waters and stable air, rapid weakening began. As a result of the weakening trend, Bud became a Category 2 storm at 1800 UTC. The eye became obscured, and core convective cloud tops began to warm. [Cite web|author=Roberts & Beven|title=Hurricane Bud Discussion Number 14|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.014.shtml?] Early on July 14, the storm dropped below hurricane status and lost much of its convection during the day. In addition to the cooler sea surface temperatures and an unfavorable environment, southeasterly shear contributed to the weakening. By the evening, only a patch of thunderstorm activity lingered to the north of the center. [cite web|author=Roberts & Beven|title=Hurricane Bud Discussion Number 18|year=2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-10-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/ep03/ep032006.discus.018.shtml?] On July 15, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression, and it degenerated into a remnant low the next day. The low fully dissipated within the low-level easterly trade winds on July 17, about convert|750|mi|km|abbr=on east-northeast of Hawaii.

Impact

Because Bud remained away from land, no effects, property damage or fatalities were reported; no ships were affected, and no tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued. Due to the lack of any impact, the name "Bud" was not retired, and it is scheduled to be reused for the fifth named storm of the 2012 Pacific hurricane season. Eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone naming follows the same scheme as the North Atlantic, but with its own lists. The current naming system was introduced a year earlier than the Atlantic system, when List IV was used anomalously in 1978, but List I was used in 1979 in parallel with that in the Atlantic.cite web|title=Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-09-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml]

ee also

*2006 Pacific hurricane season
*List of Pacific hurricanes
*Pacific hurricane
*

References

External links

* NHC's [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/refresh/BUD+shtml/ archive on Hurricane Bud] .