2006 Atlantic hurricane season
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The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. This season was unusual in that no hurricanes made landfall in the United States of America.<ref name="Atlantic hurricane season ends with no U.S. landfall">"Agence France-Presse" (2006-11-20). Atlantic hurricane season about to end, with no U.S. landfall. USA Today. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref> It started on June 1, 2006, and officially ended on November 30, 2006. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
One system, Tropical Storm Zeta from the 2005 season, continued through early January, only the second time on record that had happened. Tropical Storm Alberto was responsible for 2 indirect deaths when it made landfall in Florida. Hurricane Ernesto caused heavy rainfall in Haiti, and directly killed at least 7 people in Haiti and the United States. Four more hurricanes formed after Ernesto, including the strongest storms of the season, Hurricanes Helene and Gordon. However, no tropical cyclones formed in the month of October, the first time this had happened since the 1994 season.<ref name="October inactivity">National Hurricane Center (2006-11-01). Monthly Tropical Weather Summary for October 2006. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.</ref>
Following the intense activity of the 2005 season, forecasts predicted the 2006 season would be very active, though not as active as 2005. However, in 2006, a rapidly-forming El Niño event, combined with the pervasive presence of the Saharan Air Layer over the tropical Atlantic, contributed to all tropical cyclone activity ceasing after October 2.<ref name="Gray Nov">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-11-17). Summary of 2006 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity and Verification of Authors' Seasonal and Monthly Forecasts. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.</ref>
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[edit] Seasonal forecasts
Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach, Dr. William M. Gray, and their associates at Colorado State University; and separately by NOAA forecasters.
Klotzbach's team (formerly led by Dr. Gray) defined the average number of storms per season (1950 to 2000) as 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes, and 2.3 major hurricanes (storms exceeding Category 3 strength in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). A normal season, as defined by NOAA, has 6 to 14 named storms, with 4 to 8 of those reaching hurricane strength, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.<ref name="Gray Dec">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2005-12-06). Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2006. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.</ref><ref name="AOML FAQ E10">Landsea, Chris (2005). AOML Frequently Asked Questions, E10. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.</ref>
| Source | Date | Named storms | Hurricanes | Major hurricanes |
| CSU | Average (1950–2000)<ref name="Gray Dec"/> | 9.6 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| NOAA | Average<ref name="noaa-2005records">NOAA (2006-04-13). NOAA Reviews Record-Setting 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-04-26.</ref> | 6–14 | 4–8 | 1–3 |
| Record high activity | 28 | 15 | 8 | |
| Record low activity | 4 | 2 | 0 | |
| CSU | 5 December 2005 | 17 | 9 | 5 |
| CSU | 4 April 2006 | 17 | 9 | 5 |
| NOAA | 22 May 2006 | 13–16 | 8–10 | 4–6 |
| CSU | 31 May 2006 | 17 | 9 | 5 |
| CSU | 3 August 2006 | 15 | 7 | 3 |
| NOAA | 8 August 2006 | 12–15 | 7–9 | 3–4 |
| CSU | 1 September 2006 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| CSU | 3 October 2006 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| Actual activity | 9 | 5 | 2 | |
[edit] Pre-season forecasts
On December 5, 2005, Klotzbach's team issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2006 season, predicting a well above-average season (17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, 5 of Category 3 or higher).<ref name="Gray Dec"/>
Similar to the 2005 season, the team predicted a high potential for at least one major hurricane to directly impact the United States: the forecast indicated an 81% chance of at least one major hurricane striking the U.S. mainland, which included a 64% chance of at least one major hurricane strike on the East Coast of the United States including the Florida peninsula, and a 47% chance of at least one major hurricane strike on the Gulf Coast of the United States from the Florida Panhandle westward. In addition, the potential for major hurricane activity in the Caribbean was above average. A few months later, on April 4, 2006, CSU issued another forecast which reaffirmed the forecast previously made in December.<ref name="Gray Apr">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-04-04). Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2006. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.</ref>
On May 22, 2006, NOAA released their pre-season forecast for the 2006 season. They predicted 13 to 16 named storms, with 8 to 10 becoming hurricanes, and 4 to 6 becoming major hurricanes.<ref name="NOAA May">NOAA (2006). NOAA Predicts Very Active 2006 North Atlantic Hurricane Season. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.</ref>
On May 31, 2006, Klotzbach's team released their final pre-season forecast for 2006, reconfirming their previous numbers.<ref name="Gray May">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-05-31). Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2006. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.</ref>
[edit] Midseason outlooks
On August 3, 2006, Klotzbach's team lowered their season estimate to 15 named storms, with 7 becoming hurricanes and 3 becoming major hurricanes. They noted that conditions have become less favorable for storms than they were earlier in the year. The sea level pressure and trade wind strength in the tropical Atlantic were reported to be above normal, while sea surface temperature anomalies were on a decreasing trend.<ref name="Gray Aug">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-08-03). Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and U.S. Landfall Strike Probability for 2006. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-08-03.</ref>
On August 8, 2006, the NOAA revised their season estimate to 12–15 named storms, with 7–9 becoming hurricanes and 3–4 becoming major hurricanes. They attributed the reduction to less favorable environmental conditions, a decrease in La Niña conditions, and the lack of a "very persistent upper-level ridge pattern over the eastern U.S. and western Atlantic."<ref name="NOAA August">NOAA (2006-08-08). NOAA: August 2006 Update to Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.</ref>
On September 1, Klotzbach's team lowered their season estimate to 13 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes, citing larger amounts of the Saharan Air Layer as well as an El Niño trend in the Pacific.<ref name="CSU Sept">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-09-01). Forecast of Atlantic hurricane activity for September and October 2006 and seasonal update through August. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref> They again reduced the number of tropical storms expected for the season a month later on October 3, when they released a new forecast of 11 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes, citing the ongoing El Niño.<ref name="CSU Oct">Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray (2006-10-03). Forecast of Atlantic hurricane activity for October-November 2006 and seasonal update through September. Colorado State University. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.</ref>
[edit] Storms
[edit] Tropical Storm Zeta (2005)
- Main article: Tropical Storm Zeta (2005)
Tropical Storm Zeta formed on December 30, 2005 and lasted until January 6, 2006. Although it spent most of its existence in 2006, it is officially a storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season since it formed during 2005. Zeta joined Hurricane Alice as only the second Atlantic tropical cyclone in recorded history to exist during two different calendar years.
[edit] Tropical Storm Alberto
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| Duration | June 10—June 14 | |||
| Intensity | 70 mph (110 km/h), 995 mbar | |||
- Main article: Tropical Storm Alberto (2006)
On June 10, an area of disturbed weather associated with a broad low pressure area off the coast of Belize organized over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and became the first tropical depression of the season. Southwesterly vertical wind shear was a constant companion to this system, but as it moved closer to Florida, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm on the morning of June 11. Passing over the warm deep water of the Loop Current allowed accelerated development, and the cyclone's maximum sustained winds increased to its peak strength of 70 mph (115 km/h), just shy of hurricane strength. Subsequent weakening occurred as it moved over the cooler waters of the continental shelf.<ref name="Alberto discussion 11">Pasch, Richard (June 12, 2006). Tropical Storm Alberto Forecast Discussion #11, 5 p.m. EDT. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-06-13.</ref>
Alberto made landfall midday on June 13, about 50 miles (85 km) southeast of Tallahassee, Florida.<ref name="NHC public advisory update">National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Alberto Update, 12:45 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2006. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-06-13.</ref> Alberto brought a storm surge of five feet to the Big Bend area of the Florida coastline, flooding areas of Cedar Key and Crystal River. The large system was slow to weaken, moving across Georgia and the Carolinas before being downgraded to a tropical depression early on June 14. Alberto became an extratropical storm that morning while quickly moving towards the coast. As an extratropical storm, Alberto strengthened rapidly offshore New England and the Canadian Maritimes, becoming an oceanic storm by the afternoon of June 15.<ref name="NHC public advisory">National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Alberto Final Public Advisory #18, 11 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2006. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-06-14.</ref><ref name="NHC alberto track">National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Alberto Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Cone, 11 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2006. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-06-14.</ref> Damage in the United States totaled to $565,000 (2006 USD).
- The National Hurricane Center (NHC)'s archive on Tropical Storm Alberto.
- The Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC)'s archive on Tropical Storm Alberto.
[edit] Tropical Storm Beryl
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| Duration | July 18—July 21 | |||
| Intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h), 1000 mbar | |||
- Main article: Tropical Storm Beryl (2006)
In mid-July, a front moved off the east coast of the United States and stalled, spawning a series of low pressure areas. Because steering currents were weak, the most southerly disturbance slowly drifted to the south, and gradually became more organized a few hundred miles east of the North Carolina coast. On the morning of July 18, the low pressure area was designated the second tropical cyclone of the season, ending more than a month of inactivity in the Atlantic Basin. That afternoon, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Beryl.<ref name = "TS Beryl TCU">National Hurricane Center (July 18, 2006). Tropical Storm Beryl Tropical Cyclone Update, 4:55 p.m. EDT, July 18 2006. Florida State University Meteorology Department. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.</ref>
Beryl continued moving to the north until it turned to the northeast on July 20. Beryl paralleled the East Coast of the United States and crossed over Nantucket island before becoming extratropical southwest of Nova Scotia on July 21.
[edit] Tropical Storm Chris
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| Duration | July 31—August 5 | |||
| Intensity | 65 mph (100 km/h), 1001 mbar | |||
- Main article: Tropical Storm Chris (2006)
On about July 26, a vigorous tropical wave formed off the coast of Africa and slowly tracked westward. It slowly developed due to poor environmental conditions and it became a tropical depression late on July 31 about 160 miles (260 km) east of Antigua.<ref>National Hurricane Center. Discussion for Tropical Depression Three, 11:00 p.m. EDT, July 31, 2006. NOAA. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.</ref> The depression soon strengthened further and was named Tropical Storm Chris six hours later.<ref>National Hurricane Center. Discussion for Tropical Depression Three, 5:00 a.m. EDT, August 1, 2006. NOAA. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.</ref> National Hurricane Center forecasters dismissed some computer models, which dissipated Chris quickly, as they did not have a handle on the strength of the storm.<ref name="Chris Disc3">National Hurricane Center. Discussion for Tropical Depression Three, 11:00 a.m. EDT, August 1, 2006. NOAA. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.</ref> Tropical Storm Chris moved to the northwest and gradually strengthened before reaching its peak strength on August 2 with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h), when it was to the northeast of the United States Virgin Islands.<ref name="Chris Disc6">National Hurricane Center. Discussion for Tropical Storm Chris, 11:00 a.m. EDT, August 2, 2005. NOAA. Retrieved on August 5, 2006.</ref> The storm was forecast to strengthen further and become a hurricane as it moved into the Bahamas. However, Chris began to be affected by wind shear and became disorganized. The storm weakened to a tropical depression on August 4, and dissipated as it approached the Cuban coast.
In response to the storm's projected path into the Gulf of Mexico, prices for crude oil rose on the New York Mercantile Exchange at branch offices in London.<ref name="fe_oil">"Oil surges as Storm Chris heads toward Gulf of Mexico", Financial Express, 2006-08-01.</ref> Natural gas prices rose considerably in New York Mercantile Exchange electronic trading on August 2. Anticipation of a threat to supply by a potential Hurricane Chris coupled with high demand during an ongoing heat wave are cited as reasons for the price move.<ref name="bloom_natgas">"Natural Gas Surges in New York on Hurricane Threat, Heat Wave", Bloomberg, 2006-08-02.</ref> On August 2 approximately 600 tourists evacuated the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra as tropical storm warnings had been issued.<ref name="AP_PuertoRicoEvac">Laura Candelas. "Storm prompts tourists' evacuation", Associated Press, 2006-08-02.</ref> Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean re-routed their ships to avoid the storm. <ref>Royal Caribbean. Tropical Weather Update for August 2, 2006. Retrieved on August 2.</ref> In Puerto Rico, rainfall from the storm caused the Fajardo River to overflow its banks. The overflown waters temporarily closed a highway in the northeastern portion of the island. <ref>Miranda Leitsinger. "Tropical Storm Chris weakens further", Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.</ref> Rainfall reached up to 2 inches (50 mm) across portions of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and eastern Cuba, and reached 4 inches (100 mm) in some mountainous areas.<ref name="zeenews">http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=313893&ssid=26&sid=ENV</ref>
- The NHC's archive on Tropical Storm Chris
[edit] Tropical Storm Debby
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| Duration | August 21—August 26 | |||
| Intensity | 50 mph (85 km/h), 999 mbar | |||
- Main article: Tropical Storm Debby (2006)
A system off the coast of Africa, which the NHC was monitoring for several days, was upgraded to tropical depression status on August 21 and designated as Tropical Depression Four. Consequently, a tropical storm warning was immediately issued for the Cape Verde islands, as the system threatened to pass over or near the southern part of the archipelago. However, the system failed to strengthen into a tropical storm before passing the chain of islands, and the warning was discontinued the following morning.
The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Debby late on August 22. While it had been expected to strengthen into a hurricane, this never occurred and Debby weakened into a tropical depression on August 26. It continued to the north and lost tropical characteristics on August 27.
[edit] Hurricane Ernesto
- Main article: Hurricane Ernesto (2006)
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| Duration | August 24—September 1 | |||
| Intensity | 75 mph (120 km/h), 987 mbar | |||
At 3:15 p.m. EDT (1915 UTC) on August 24, a reconnaissance flight determined that a tropical wave passing through the Windward Islands had developed a closed tropical circulation, and advisories were commenced on Tropical Depression Five. By 5 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC) on August 25, a second flight had found sustained tropical-storm force winds, and the system was named Ernesto. Ernesto became a hurricane on the morning of August 27 just south of Haiti, before it was downgraded back to a tropical storm in the afternoon. The storm caused 2 deaths in Haiti due to rainfall.
Ernesto made landfall near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, early in the morning on August 28. At one point the storm was predicted to become a major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and threaten parts of the Gulf Coast, a grim possibility in light of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060826/us_nm/weather_hurricanes_louisiana_dc_1</ref>. However, Ernesto moved much farther east than anticipated, and made landfall as a tropical storm on the southern tip of Florida on August 29. Two people died in Florida in road traffic accidents attributed to the weather conditions, as the cyclone slowly moved northward across the southern half of the peninsula. Ernesto restrengthened into a tropical storm as it emerged from land near Cape Canaveral, and was just below hurricane strength when it made landfall again in North Carolina on August 31.
Damage in Virginia totaled to $104 million (2006 USD)<ref name="w">WAVY Kaine seeks disaster declaration for 25 localities URL Accessed: September 11, 2006</ref>, and in total the storm caused about $500 million (2006 USD) in damage.<ref>ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Monthly/2006120114.ABNT30</ref>
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Ernesto.
- The HPC's archive on Tropical Depression Ernesto.
[edit] Hurricane Florence
- Main article: Hurricane Florence (2006)
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| Duration | September 3—September 12 | |||
| Intensity | 90 mph (145 km/h), 972 mbar | |||
Tropical Depression Six formed from an area of low pressure midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles on September 3. Initial strengthening of the depression was slow due to shearing wind conditions. Despite the moderate to high wind shear, it strengthened enough to become Tropical Storm Florence on the morning of September 5. After becoming a tropical storm, Florence's wind field began to expand greatly; at one point tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 405 miles from the center. With a disorganized structure and multiple circulation centers, Florence remained a weak tropical storm for several days, even after external conditions became favorable for strengthening. Around the evening of September 8 it resolved to a single center and steady strengthening resumed - "science had prevailed", as one forecaster remarked<ref>National Hurricane Center. Discussion for Tropical Storm Florence, 11:00 a.m. EDT, Sept. 8, 2006. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.</ref>. On the morning of September 10, Florence reached hurricane strength. Large swells, rip tide, and undertow were reported on Bermuda, the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola. <ref>Associated Press. "Bermuda braces as Florence becomes hurricane", CNN.</ref> Florence soon reached its peak as a Category 1 hurricane very near Bermuda, and became extratropical on September 12, while still a hurricane.
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Florence.
- The CHC's archive on Hurricane Florence
[edit] Hurricane Gordon
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| Duration | September 11—September 20 | |||
| Intensity | 120 mph (195 km/h), 955 mbar | |||
- Main article: Hurricane Gordon (2006)
As Florence moved away, a low-pressure system gradually became more organized northeast of the Lesser Antilles. On the evening of September 10, it developed a closed circulation and was declared Tropical Depression Seven. It continued to intensify, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon on September 11 and Hurricane Gordon late on September 12. Gordon attained Category 2 status on the evening of September 13, and was further upgraded to Category 3 status that same night, making it the first major hurricane of the season.
Around September 16 it was nearly stationary for some time in the mid-Atlantic about 1000 miles east of Bermuda, and weakened to be barely a hurricane. However, as it subsequently accelerated eastwards, it restrengthened to category 2. On September 19 hurricane warnings were issued for the Azores, as the predicted path passed through the center of that archipelago. It became extratropical on September 20 after passing through Azorean waters, but the remnants side-swiped north-western Spain and then moved rapidly north towards Ireland and the west of Britain on September 21. By the morning of September 22, it had become absorbed into a large Atlantic low to the west of Ireland.
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Gordon.
[edit] Hurricane Helene
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| Duration | September 12—September 24 | |||
| Intensity | 120 mph (195 km/h), 955 mbar<ref name="HeleneTCR">Brown, Daniel P. (November 15, 2006). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Helene (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.</ref> | |||
- Main article: Hurricane Helene (2006)
On September 11, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. It quickly organized, and on September 12 was declared Tropical Depression Eight. Continuing to organize, it reached tropical storm strength on September 13, becoming a hurricane on September 16 and a major hurricane on September 17. It moved generally west-northwestward before commencing a northeasterly turn. Large currents from Helene lashed Bermuda. It became fully extratropical on September 24.
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Helene.
[edit] Hurricane Isaac
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| Duration | September 27—October 2 | |||
| Intensity | 85 mph (135 km/h), 985 mbar | |||
An area of low pressure in mid-Atlantic generated active thunderstorms for several days and eventually organized into Tropical Depression Nine on September 27 and a tropical storm by September 28. By that time it was about 810 miles east-southeast of Bermuda. It became a hurricane on September 30, and passed about 280 miles (450 km) east of Bermuda before swinging northwards towards Newfoundland. As it was still a strong tropical storm near the Avalon Peninsula, tropical storm warnings were issued on October 2 due to the potential for high winds. Isaac passed 45 km (30 miles) to the southeast of Cape Race late that afternoon. The Canadian Hurricane Centre reports that if Isaac had tracked just 50 to 100 km (30 to 60 miles) farther north than it did, the St. John's area would have experienced much higher winds than the peak gust of 54 km/h (34 mph) it received.<ref name="Canadian Hurricane Centre Isaac">http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/bulletins/20061003022851.Isaac.txt.en</ref>
At its closest approach to the Avalon Peninsula, Isaac was still tropical, and had maximum sustained winds of 50 knots and a minimum central pressure of 993 mbar.<ref name="Canadian Hurricane Centre Isaac"/> Strongest winds on land in Newfoundland were reported at Cape Race, where a maximum gust to 96 km/h (60 mph) with a sustained wind of 74 km/h (46 mph) was recorded. At Cape Pine, a peak wind was reported at 76 km/h (47 mph).<ref name="Canadian Hurricane Centre Isaac"/> However, due to Isaac's small size and fast forward speed, winds were lighter over most of the Avalon Peninsula.
Rainfall from Isaac was not reported to be higher than 25 mm (0.98 inches) in most areas due to Isaac's speed and decreasing amount of moisture. The highest measured amount was 26 mm (1.02 inch) at Cape Race, while Cape Pine reported 19 mm (0.75 inches) and St. John's reported less than 10 mm (0.39 inches).<ref name="Canadian Hurricane Centre Isaac"/>
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Isaac.
[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) rating
| ACE (104kt2) – Storm: Source | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24.3 | Helene | 6 | 2.76 | Alberto | ||
| 2 | 22.2 | Gordon | 7 | 2.36 | Chris | ||
| 3 | 10.1 | Florence | 8 | 2.31 | Debby | ||
| 4 | 6.46 | Isaac | 9 | 2.30 | Beryl | ||
| 5 | 5.17 | Ernesto | |||||
| Total: 78.0 | |||||||
The table on the right shows the ACE for each storm in the season. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph/63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
The cumulative ACE for this season is toward the lower end of the official "Near Normal" grading. The number of tropical storms and hurricanes is about 1 less than the long-term average.
[edit] Storm names
| Alberto | Helene | Oscar (unused) | ||
| Beryl | Isaac | Patty (unused) | ||
| Chris | Joyce (unused) | Rafael (unused) | ||
| Debby | Kirk (unused) | Sandy (unused) | ||
| Ernesto | Leslie (unused) | Tony (unused) | ||
| Florence | Michael (unused) | Valerie (unused) | ||
| Gordon | Nadine (unused) | William (unused) |
The names to the right were used for named storms that form in the North Atlantic in 2006. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2012 season. This is the same list used in the 2000 season except for Kirk, which replaced Keith. No storm was given a previously unused name, the first time this had happened since the 1993 season.
The National Hurricane Center reported in its first tropical weather outlook for the season that it would again use names from the Greek alphabet, starting with Alpha, should the main list have run out.<ref>National Hurricane Center (June 1, 2006). Tropical Weather Outlook. Florida State University Meteorology Department. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.</ref>
[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
Names to be retired, if any, will be announced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the spring of 2007. Storm names are retired only if a storm is so deadly or costly that use of the name on another storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity.<ref name="stormnames">Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref>
[edit] See also
- List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- List of tropical cyclone names
- 2006 Pacific hurricane season
- 2006 Pacific typhoon season
- 2006 North Indian cyclone season
- 2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
- 2006-07 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
[edit] References
<references />
[edit] External links
- National Hurricane Center (NHC)
- NHC's Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook - updated four times daily
- NHC's 2006 Advisory Archive
- HPC's Rainfall Page for tropical cyclones which affected the United States in 2006
- Unisys' 2006 Season Page – includes map of paths of all storms
- Flash Hurricane Tracker - track active and archived hurricanes.
- NRL hurricane page - Naval Research Laboratory page with extensive archives on individual storms
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| Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale | ||||||
| TD | TS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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de:Atlantische Hurrikansaison 2006 es:Temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico, 2006 fr:Saison cyclonique 2006 (Atlantique nord) nl:Atlantisch orkaanseizoen 2006 simple:2006 Atlantic hurricane season sv:Atlantiska orkansäsongen 2006 zh:2006年大西洋颶風季
