Hurricane Humberto (1995)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Humberto
Type=hurricane
Year=1995
Basin=Atl
Image location=Hurricane Humberto (1995).gif


Formed=August 21, 1995
Dissipated=September 1, 1995
1-min winds=95
Pressure=968
Da

Fatalities=None reported
Areas=No land areas
Hurricane season=1995 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Humberto was the eighth named storm and fourth hurricane of the busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. This was the first time that the name "Humberto" was used as it replaced Hugo (it was retired in 1989). It was a Cape Verde-type hurricane that never approached land as it tracked across the central Atlantic Ocean.

The storm developed west of the Cape Verde islands on August 21 and was upgraded to a tropical storm on August 22 and a hurricane on August 23. For the first several days, it followed the wave that became Iris until a Fujiwhara interaction took place about midway between Cape Verde and the Lesser Antilles on August 25. Humberto peaked as a strong Category 2 hurricane and remained a hurricane until just before being absorbed by an extratropical cyclone on September 1.

Meteorological history

The system originated out of one of several powerful tropical waves that moved off the west coast of Africa in the second half of August. When the wave came off the African coast, it already had a cyclonic rotation, although it was fairly disorganized. As the wave moved westward into open waters, it developed rapidly. Late on August 21, it had developed a low-level circulation and was declared Tropical Depression Nine.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Preliminary Report: Hurricane Humberto
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1995humberto.shtml

]

The system quickly organized itself and was quickly upgraded to Tropical Storm Humberto early on August 22. Beginning on a west-northwest track, it was clear from the outset that Humberto would not affect land, due to a weakness in the subtropical ridge to the north which would eventually turn the storm northward.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Tropical Depression Nine Discussion #1
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.001

] An impressive outflow pattern and solid banding quickly formed in a very favorable environment with warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear. Humberto quickly developed and intensified into a high-end tropical storm on the afternoon and evening of August 22.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Tropical Storm Humberto Discussion #3
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.003

] Early on August 23, the storm was upgraded to Hurricane Humberto.

Humberto continued to intensify on the morning of the 23rd as the central dense overcast became well defined, despite the lack of a well-defined eye feature.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #6
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.006

] However, the intensification was slowed somewhat by the presence of Iris to the west, whose outflow intercepted with Humberto's outflow somewhat.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #7
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.007

] Early on August 24, Humberto strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane, finally forming a well-defined eye, as it slowed down as it entered a Fujiwhara interaction with Iris.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #10
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.010

] That afternoon, while still moving west-northwest, Humberto reached its peak intensity of 110 mph (175 km/h), just under Category 3 intensity.

The Fujiwhara interaction had a profound impact on the track of Humberto, which made a quick turn to the northwest, and then to the north-northwest, early on August 25. The interaction came to an end that afternoon as Humberto completed the northerly turn, while remaining a Category 2 hurricane in the tropical waters of the central Atlantic.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #14
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.014

] It began to gradually weaken on August 26 due to an increase in southwesterly shear from a nearby upper-level low as it maintained a north-northwest track.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #15
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.015

] The slow weakening trend continued into August 27 as the eye became intermittent in the moderate-shear environment, which was once again impacted by the outflow of Iris to the southwest.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #23
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.023

] That evening, it dropped to a minimal hurricane with 75 mph (120 km/h) winds, which was later confirmed to have been the low point. Operationally, Humberto was downgraded to a tropical storm for a while on August 28, which was later confirmed to have been underestimated.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #25
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.025

]

As it tracked away from Iris and into a more open environment, it turned more to the north-northeast and slowly re-intensified again on August 29. Its movement was now affected by an incoming mid-latitude trough that turned Humberto northeast early on August 30.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #33
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.033

] Humberto reached its second intensity peak of 90 mph (145 km/h) at that time.

However, cooler waters eventually caught up to Humberto and it began to weaken once again early on August 31 as it tracked into the north Atlantic.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #37
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.037

] That afternoon, Humberto weakened to a tropical storm as its circulation became embedded into a circulation of a nearby extratropical low in a high-shear environment.

cite web
author=National Hurricane Center
year=1995
title=Hurricane Humberto Discussion #39
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/humberto/tropdisc/nal0995.039

] It continued to weaken that evening, and early on September 1, the tropical storm was absorbed by the larger system.

Impact, naming, and records

Humberto remained in the open Atlantic, and no damage or fatalities were reported. Several ships came in contact with Humberto while it roamed the open waters. The strongest winds came from call sign DVRUK4, which reported peak winds of 70 mph (112 km/h) in the central Atlantic on August 30. Three other ships reported tropical storm-force winds.

Iris, Jerry, and two waves that would ultimately become Karen and Luis. Humberto is third in line.Humberto was the second of four tropical waves in quick succession in the tropical Atlantic that all eventually became tropical storms or hurricanes; it was preceded by the wave that became Iris, and followed by the waves that became Karen and Luis. It was also the first of three tropical cyclones to form within a 24-hour period on August 21 and 22; Iris formed 12 hours later and Jerry formed 18 hours later. It was also the first of five named storms to form within a seven-day period; Karen formed on August 26 and Luis on August 27.

cite web
author=Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory
year=2006
title=Re-Analysis Project
publisher=NOAA
accessdate=2006-12-17
url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/easyhurdat_5105.html

]

Due to the lack of any impacts, the name Humberto was not retired and was re-used in the 2001 and the 2007 seasons. Humberto was itself a replacement name for Hurricane Hugo, which was retired after the 1989 season.

See also

* 1995 Atlantic hurricane season

References

External links

* NHC's [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1995humberto.html Preliminary Report] on Hurricane Humberto