Another relatively quiet Central Pacific hurricane season is in the forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu formally announced Wednesday.
Another relatively quiet Central Pacific hurricane season is in the forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu formally announced Wednesday.
Projected climate conditions point to a below-normal hurricane season for the Central Pacific Ocean Basin, which is located north of the equator and spans from 140 degrees West longitude to the International Date Line. Forecasters anticipate two to four tropical cyclones — a category that includes tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes — will pass through the Central Pacific this year.
On average, the Central Pacific annually sees four to five tropical cyclones. Last year, two to four were predicted with just one, Tropical Storm Fernanda, reaching the Central Pacific before fizzling out. The Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
The center also forecast a 50 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 30 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 20 percent chance of an above-normal season, according to the center.
The outlook is a general guide to overall seasonal hurricane activity and does not predict whether, where, when or how many systems will affect Hawaii, according to the center. It is based on continuing low cyclone activity in the Eastern Pacific Basic and currently neutral El Niño and La Niña conditions.
Based on 41 years of data, the most active time for tropical cyclones falls between July and October, said Mike Cantin, a warning coordination meteorologist with NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. Only February and May have not seen storms.
Named Central Pacific tropical cyclones for 2012 will begin with Pewa, which means the tail of a fish, shrimp or lobster, according to the center, which noted Hawaiian names are assigned only to storms forming within the Central Pacific area. No cyclones have formed in the Central Pacific since Omeka in late 2010.
For more information on the 2012 Central Pacific hurricane season, visit the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s website at prh.noaa.gov/cphc. Additional information on hurricane preparedness, including necessities for a home survival kit and where to find evacuation centers, ran in the Wednesday edition of West Hawaii Today. The article can also be found online at westhawaiitoday.com.