ATLANTIC & PACIFIC HURRICANE ACTIVITY & PREDICTIONS 2014
On September 26 Tropical Storm Rachel is forecast to become a Hurricane the following day
Hurricane Rachel forms on September 27 at 1400 PDT
(2100 UTC)
Another tropical depression forms in the Pacific
Personal Insights
Observations
Tropical Depression Eighteen-E forms on September 24 and becomes Tropical Storm Rachel later in the day
When Tropical Storm Rachel formed on September 24 NOAA's forecast was for her to maintain storm strength over the next five days. I stated that if she remains a storm she has to be a strong storm (greater than 45 mph) since she is a female-named cyclone and in keeping with this year's theme needs to be stronger than the weaker male-named ones. However, I started to wonder if she will reach a Category 1 Hurricane status. 48 hours later NOAA first states that Rachel may become a hurricane soon. So now that she's set to upgrade her status I state that she will have to be more than just a minimum hurricane (stronger than 75 mph). Then I label her as an “H” and when she finally becomes a hurricane on September 27 she reaches a maximum sustained wind strength of 85 mph thus making her the strongest Category 1 Hurricane in the eastern North Pacific basin this season.
from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
On September 20, a low pressure area from Central America entered the Eastern Pacific Ocean. With environmental conditions favorable for further intensification, the NHC gave the system a high probability of development as it continued to move west-northwestward. On September 24, while situated about 285 mi (460 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, the system acquired enough organization for the NHC to declare it Tropical Depression Eighteen-E. Roughly twelve hours later, the depression was upgraded to a tropical storm and given the name Rachel.
By September 27, an eye-like feature had begun to appear in infrared satellite imagery. With the aforementioned eye becoming more apparent in visible imagery, surrounded by a convective ring of cooling cloud tops, Rachel was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, the thirteenth of the season, later that same day. Two days later, as the result of increasing shear and a decrease in overall convection, Rachel was downgraded to a tropical storm. By September 30, all deep convection had disappeared, and the system was further downgraded to a tropical depression. Later on the same day, the NHC issued its final advisory on the system, as Rachel had degenerated into a remnant low.
