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Hurricane Ekeka (1992)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Ekeka was an unusual Pacific tropical cyclone
that attained major hurricane status during the month of February. The first storm of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season
, Ekeka developed on January 28 well to the south of Hawaii
. It gradually intensified to reach major hurricane status on February 2, although it subsequently began to weaken due to unfavorable wind shear
. It crossed the International Date Line
as a weakened tropical storm, and shortly thereafter degraded to tropical depression status. Ekeka continued westward, passing through the Marshall Islands
and later over Chuuk
, before dissipating on February 9 about 310 miles (500 km) off the north coast of Papua New Guinea
. The storm did not cause any significant damage or deaths.
of 1991–92, as typical with other such events, the monsoon trough
extended into the central north Pacific Ocean
, which is the body of water between the International Date Line
and 140ºW
. At the same time, sea surface temperature
s near the equator
were anomalously warm, and wind shear
values were low. At the end of January, a large area of convection persisted for several days near the north side of the equator. By January 23, several ships reported squall
s and strong southwesterly winds in the region. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center
(CPHC) began monitoring the system on January 26, while it was located about 950 miles (1530 km) south of Ka Lae
, the southernmost point in Hawaii
. The disturbance organized further as it tracked westward, and on January 28 it developed into Tropical Depression One-C, located a short distance north of Kiritimati
and east of Tabuaeran
.
With favorable conditions, the depression quickly intensified into a tropical storm; upon doing so, it was named Ekeka by the CPHC, which is Hawaiian
for Edgar. Ekeka continued gradually intensifying while moving slowly west-northwestward, and it attain hurricane status on January 30 about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Palmyra Atoll
. On February 2, the hurricane attained peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), making Ekeka a major hurricane
, or Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale
. Subsequently, it began to weaken due to increased wind shear
, and concurrently its forward motion increased as the subtropical ridge
strengthened to the north of the hurricane. A large trough
in the Westerlies
increased the wind shear, which weakened Ekeka to a tropical storm early on February 3. Later that day, it crossed the International Date Line
into the western Pacific Ocean; the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) assessed the storm's winds at 50 mph (85 km/h), while the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) estimated winds at 60 mph (95 km/h). At the time, the JMA assessed the pressure as 985 mbar
, which is the lowest known minimum central pressure associated with the storm; the CPHC did not include pressure in their year-end report.
Tropical Storm Ekeka continued weakening, degrading to tropical depression status by February 4. The depression moved quickly through the Marshall Islands
, and on February 6 turned to the west-southwest. On February 8, the JMA declared Ekeka dissipated
; however, the JTWC continued monitoring the system, with Ekeka passing over Chuuk
as a weak depression. Early on February 9, the JTWC declared Ekeka dissipated about 800 miles (1300 km) east-southeast of Palau
, or about 310 miles (500 km) off the north coast of Papua New Guinea
.
without causing significant impact. When Ekeka hit the island of Chuuk
, winds of 20 mph (32 km/h) were reported.
While in the central Pacific Ocean, Ekeka became one of only three tropical cyclones on record to be located within the Palmyra Atoll
Exclusive Economic Zone
; Ekeka was the only hurricane within the area.
Ekeka is most unusual for its formation in January. Tropical cyclones rarely form east of the International Date Line outside of the tropical cyclone season, which starts May 15 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 in the central Pacific, and which ends on November 30 in both regions. In the official Pacific hurricane database, Ekeka was the only tropical cyclone on record to occur in January or February within the Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line; as such, it was also the earliest cyclone on record within the basin.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
that attained major hurricane status during the month of February. The first storm of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season
1992 Pacific hurricane season
The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season on record. The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars of damage to the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but...
, Ekeka developed on January 28 well to the south of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It gradually intensified to reach major hurricane status on February 2, although it subsequently began to weaken due to unfavorable wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. It crossed the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
as a weakened tropical storm, and shortly thereafter degraded to tropical depression status. Ekeka continued westward, passing through the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and later over Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
, before dissipating on February 9 about 310 miles (500 km) off the north coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The storm did not cause any significant damage or deaths.
Meteorological history
During the El NiñoEl Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
of 1991–92, as typical with other such events, the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
extended into the central north Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, which is the body of water between the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
and 140ºW
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. At the same time, sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s near the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
were anomalously warm, and wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
values were low. At the end of January, a large area of convection persisted for several days near the north side of the equator. By January 23, several ships reported squall
Squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...
s and strong southwesterly winds in the region. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
(CPHC) began monitoring the system on January 26, while it was located about 950 miles (1530 km) south of Ka Lae
Ka Lae
Ka Lae , also known as South Point, is the southernmost point of the Big Island of Hawaii and of the 50 United States. The Ka Lae area is registered as a National Historic Landmark District under the name South Point Complex...
, the southernmost point in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The disturbance organized further as it tracked westward, and on January 28 it developed into Tropical Depression One-C, located a short distance north of Kiritimati
Kiritimati
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, and part of the Republic of Kiribati....
and east of Tabuaeran
Tabuaeran
Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island or Fanning Atoll is one of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean, and part of Kiribati. It is an atoll located at...
.
With favorable conditions, the depression quickly intensified into a tropical storm; upon doing so, it was named Ekeka by the CPHC, which is Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
for Edgar. Ekeka continued gradually intensifying while moving slowly west-northwestward, and it attain hurricane status on January 30 about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
. On February 2, the hurricane attained peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), making Ekeka a major hurricane
Tropical cyclone scales
Tropical systems are officially ranked on one of several tropical cyclone scales according to their maximum sustained winds and in what oceanic basin they are located...
, or Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Subsequently, it began to weaken due to increased wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, and concurrently its forward motion increased as the subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
strengthened to the north of the hurricane. A large trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
in the Westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
increased the wind shear, which weakened Ekeka to a tropical storm early on February 3. Later that day, it crossed the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
into the western Pacific Ocean; the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) assessed the storm's winds at 50 mph (85 km/h), while the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) estimated winds at 60 mph (95 km/h). At the time, the JMA assessed the pressure as 985 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
, which is the lowest known minimum central pressure associated with the storm; the CPHC did not include pressure in their year-end report.
Tropical Storm Ekeka continued weakening, degrading to tropical depression status by February 4. The depression moved quickly through the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, and on February 6 turned to the west-southwest. On February 8, the JMA declared Ekeka dissipated
Dissipation
In physics, dissipation embodies the concept of a dynamical system where important mechanical models, such as waves or oscillations, lose energy over time, typically from friction or turbulence. The lost energy converts into heat, which raises the temperature of the system. Such systems are called...
; however, the JTWC continued monitoring the system, with Ekeka passing over Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
as a weak depression. Early on February 9, the JTWC declared Ekeka dissipated about 800 miles (1300 km) east-southeast of Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, or about 310 miles (500 km) off the north coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Impact and records
No deaths were reported in association with Ekeka. The storm passed through the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
without causing significant impact. When Ekeka hit the island of Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
, winds of 20 mph (32 km/h) were reported.
While in the central Pacific Ocean, Ekeka became one of only three tropical cyclones on record to be located within the Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
; Ekeka was the only hurricane within the area.
Ekeka is most unusual for its formation in January. Tropical cyclones rarely form east of the International Date Line outside of the tropical cyclone season, which starts May 15 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 in the central Pacific, and which ends on November 30 in both regions. In the official Pacific hurricane database, Ekeka was the only tropical cyclone on record to occur in January or February within the Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line; as such, it was also the earliest cyclone on record within the basin.