BULLETIN: TROPICAL STORM PETER FORMS IN E. ATLANTIC (RARE -- NO ATLANTIC TROPICAL STORMS SINCE 1887)

National Hurricane Center, Miami ^ | Dec. 9, 2003 | National Hurricane Center, Miami

[varina davis]

BULLETIN

TROPICAL STORM PETER ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 10 AM EST TUE DEC 09 2003

...AND YET ANOTHER TROPICAL STORM...

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT THE GALE CENTER IN THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC HAS ACQUIRED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND IS NOW TROPICAL STORM PETER...THE 16TH NAMED STORM OF THE 2003 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON.

OFFICIAL RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST TIME THERE WERE TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES OF AT LEAST TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH IN DECEMBER WAS 1887.

AT 10 AM EST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM PETER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 37.0 WEST OR ABOUT 800 MILES...1290 KM...WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE WESTERN MOST CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.

PETER HAS BEEN NEARLY STATIONARY BUT IT BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...SOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PETER SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES ...185 KM MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1002 MB...29.59 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 10 AM EST POSITION...20.0 N... 37.0 W. MOVEMENT NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 45 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1002 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 4 PM EST.

FORECASTER AVILA

[varina davis]

The Atlantic hurricane season is making history in 2003! This is unprecedented.

[varina davis]

Ooops! Headline should have said "no tropical Atlantic storms in December since 1887"

Moderator: Please add December to the headline.

[John H K]

Well, a couple of things:

1) It's the first time with two December Tropical Storms since 1887, so the headline is a bit off.

2) Actually, given the location of this storm, it's likely, in fact, I would say certain, that many storms like this in December have been MISSED.

We've only had weather satellites since the early 1960s.

Our records of tropical storms, therefore, especially those far away from the US and outside shipping lanes, are basically only accurate for the last 40 years or so. That's not a very long record, and you'll see a lot of records "broken" with accurate records only going out that far.

[John H K]

Actually, it's TWO December tropical storms; we just had Odette in December this year, and there was one December tropical storm in 1989, so it's rare, but not amazingly rare to have ONE. It's two that is rare.

[Dallas]

"PETER HAS BEEN NEARLY STATIONARY BUT IT BEGIN TO MOVE"

"PETER SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS."

Tropical Storm Viagra ?

[Catspaw]

What did Dr. Grey (or Gray) predict about this hurricane season?

[Crazieman]

He originally forecasted 12 8 3, and later updated it to 14 8 3. Storms, Hurricanes, and Major (Cat3+) respectively.

[varina davis]

Very pertinent points, John.