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Hurricane Huko (2002)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Huko was one of three named tropical cyclone
's to develop in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
's area of responsibility
during the 2002 Pacific hurricane season
. It formed
on October 24 from a monsoon trough
. The depression reached tropical storm strength on October 26 and became a minimal hurricane on October 28, but it soon weakened. Eventually, Huko was able to regain Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
and maintained it past the International Date Line
, becoming the second storm this season to cross the line. The system continued to hold Category 1 intensity until November 6, when it began weakening, ultimately re-curving back into the central Pacific basin as an extratropical cyclone
. The hurricane caused light rainfall in Johnston Atoll
, but in all, Hurricane Huko had limited effects on land.
persisted south of Hawai
i along 10°N latitude
and stretching from 160°W to the region near the Mexican coast
. An area of convection
within the trough
began developing on October 24. Later that day, the disturbance was upgraded into Tropical Depression Three-C while located 850 mi (1,367.9 km) south-southeast of Honolulu
. Initially poorly organized, it moved to the north. Steadily strengthening and organizing, the depression became a tropical storm early on October 26 while making a turn to the northwest. Intensification continued, and late on October 28, the storm reached hurricane strength for the first time. However, since Tropical Storm Lowell was less than 900 mi (1,448.4 km) east of Huko, combined with brief increase in wind shear
caused by an upper-level trough
towards the northwest, Huko weakened into a tropical storm on October 30.
Shortly after making a turn to the west, conditions allowed for the storm to reach hurricane strength for the second time on October 31, passing around 140 mi (225.3 km) south of Johnston Atoll
, with a forecast
calling for Hurricane Huko to reach winds of 80 mi/h. On November 2, the hurricane passed south of a high pressure area
, which caused it to accelerate. On November 3, the hurricane passed the International dateline into the West Pacific basin
and was re-designated as a typhoon, the predominant term for hurricane-strength cyclones there. At this time, the Japan Meteorological Agency
gave Huko the identification number of TY 0224. After the crossover, the forward speed of the typhoon increased to 30 mi/h in response to a mid-latitude ridge
. That speed is unusually high for a cyclone that did not recurve in the Northern Hemisphere
. Despite favorable inflow patterns and warm sea surface temperature
s along with a light shear environment, upper-level conditions prevented the typhoon from strengthening beyond a peak of 85 mi/h. The estimated minimum pressure of the hurricane east of the International dateline was 980 mbar
, although a JMA estimate puts the lowest central pressure of the typhoon at 965 mbar while west of the International dateline. The typhoon began to re-curve to the northeast due to a weakness in the ridge on November 5, but wind shear began increasing, weakening the typhoon once more into a tropical storm on November 6 just before completing transition into an extratropical cyclone
on November 7. Extratropical Huko reentered the East Pacific
south of Midway Island on November 9. Hurricane Huko traveled roughly 2050 mi (3,299.1 km) while active.
, the hurricane prdocued wind gusts up to 30 mi/h and locally heavy rainfall due to the outer rainband
s of the storm. During its time in the west Pacific, the typhoon brought heavy rains and gusts between 40 mi/h to 45 mi/h to Wake Island
, There was also some concern that Huko could possibly be a threat to the Northern Mariana Islands
, The Philippines, and Taiwan
. Despite Huko never entering the east Pacific while active, the hurricane contributed tropical moisture to a trough that moved over California. A small stream flooded in Bakersfield
, causing $23,000 (2002 USD) in damage.
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...
's to develop in 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...
's area of responsibility
Area of responsibility
Area Of Responsibility is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to a Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan , that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and conduct operations; for which a force, or component commander...
during the 2002 Pacific hurricane season
2002 Pacific hurricane season
The 2002 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most notable storm that year was Hurricane Kenna, which reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It made landfall near Puerto Vallarta, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, on October 25...
. It formed
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
on October 24 from a monsoon trough
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. The depression reached tropical storm strength on October 26 and became a minimal hurricane on October 28, but it soon weakened. Eventually, Huko was able to regain Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane 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...
and maintained it past 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...
, becoming the second storm this season to cross the line. The system continued to hold Category 1 intensity until November 6, when it began weakening, ultimately re-curving back into the central Pacific basin as an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. The hurricane caused light rainfall in Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, but in all, Hurricane Huko had limited effects on land.
Meteorological history
In late October, an active monsoon troughMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
persisted south of Hawai
Hawai
Hawai can mean:*Hawai, Tottori, town in Tottori Prefecture, Japan*Hawai, India, the administrative headquarters of Anjaw District, in Arunachal Pradesh, India*Hawai, New Zealand in New Zealand...
i along 10°N latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and stretching from 160°W to the region near the Mexican coast
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. An area of convection
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
within the 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...
began developing on October 24. Later that day, the disturbance was upgraded into Tropical Depression Three-C while located 850 mi (1,367.9 km) south-southeast of Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. Initially poorly organized, it moved to the north. Steadily strengthening and organizing, the depression became a tropical storm early on October 26 while making a turn to the northwest. Intensification continued, and late on October 28, the storm reached hurricane strength for the first time. However, since Tropical Storm Lowell was less than 900 mi (1,448.4 km) east of Huko, combined with brief increase in 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...
caused by an upper-level 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...
towards the northwest, Huko weakened into a tropical storm on October 30.
Shortly after making a turn to the west, conditions allowed for the storm to reach hurricane strength for the second time on October 31, passing around 140 mi (225.3 km) south of Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, with a forecast
Numerical weather prediction
Numerical weather prediction uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic...
calling for Hurricane Huko to reach winds of 80 mi/h. On November 2, the hurricane passed south of a high pressure area
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...
, which caused it to accelerate. On November 3, the hurricane passed the International dateline into the West Pacific basin
Pacific typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern , central , and...
and was re-designated as a typhoon, the predominant term for hurricane-strength cyclones there. At this time, 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...
gave Huko the identification number of TY 0224. After the crossover, the forward speed of the typhoon increased to 30 mi/h in response to a mid-latitude ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
. That speed is unusually high for a cyclone that did not recurve in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. Despite favorable inflow patterns and warm 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 along with a light shear environment, upper-level conditions prevented the typhoon from strengthening beyond a peak of 85 mi/h. The estimated minimum pressure of the hurricane east of the International dateline was 980 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...
, although a JMA estimate puts the lowest central pressure of the typhoon at 965 mbar while west of the International dateline. The typhoon began to re-curve to the northeast due to a weakness in the ridge on November 5, but wind shear began increasing, weakening the typhoon once more into a tropical storm on November 6 just before completing transition into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on November 7. Extratropical Huko reentered the East Pacific
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
south of Midway Island on November 9. Hurricane Huko traveled roughly 2050 mi (3,299.1 km) while active.
Impact, records, and naming
While passing near Johnston AtollJohnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, the hurricane prdocued wind gusts up to 30 mi/h and locally heavy rainfall due to the outer rainband
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
s of the storm. During its time in the west Pacific, the typhoon brought heavy rains and gusts between 40 mi/h to 45 mi/h to Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, There was also some concern that Huko could possibly be a threat to the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, The Philippines, and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Despite Huko never entering the east Pacific while active, the hurricane contributed tropical moisture to a trough that moved over California. A small stream flooded in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, causing $23,000 (2002 USD) in damage.