 NCDC / Climate Monitoring / Climate of 2004 / East Pacific Hurricanes / Search / Help
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The seasonal activity in the eastern North Pacific in 2004 was below average and comprised 12 named storms, compared to an average of 16. Of the 12 named storms, 6 became hurricanes compared to an average of 9 for the basin. Three hurricanes reached category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which categorizes them as 'major' hurricanes, however no hurricane, nor tropical storm made landfall in the East Pacific in 2004. The ACE index for 2004 eastern North Pacific storms is also available. Notable storms in the eastern North Pacifc in 2004 include: Hurricane Darby, at the end of July, which reached category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale and was the first major hurricane in the basin since Kenna in 2002; Howard was a powerful category 4 storm at its peak intensity in early September; and Javier, also a category 4 hurricane at its strongest briefly appeared to threaten Baja California, but slowed over cooler waters and weakened to a tropical depression before impacting land. Moisture from Javier spread northward over Mexico, reaching the southwestern United States. |
October
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There were two named tropical systems in the Eastern Pacific in October, Kay and Lester. Neither reached hurricane strength, though Lester produced significant rainfall over the Mexican Riviera. |
| Kay reached tropical storm strength on October 5th moving west-northwestward from a position about 600 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. On the 6th, Kay weakened back to a depression and dissipated later that same day approximately 870 miles west-southwest of Baja California. |
| Tropical Storm Lester developed about 60 miles southeast of Acapulco, Mexico on October 12th. As Lester passed just south of Acapulco on the 13th and the storm encountered both land and a larger low pressure area to its southwest, weakening occurred. Later on the 13th, the storm again became a depression and was absorbed by the low pressure system. Some locally heavy rain was recorded on the Mexican Riviera from Tropical Storm Lester, but no reports of casualties or flooding resulted. |
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| A table containing the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index for global tropical cyclones, occurring during the month of October 2004 is available |
September
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There were two tropical systems (Isis and Javier) that formed in September and one (Howard), which formed in August, becoming a hurricane in early September. |
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Hurricane strength was briefly attained for Isis on September 15th after the storm gradually strengthened while moving westward for several days. However, Isis moved over cooler waters around the 15th and weakened while moving very little until it became a remnant low on September 17th.
Hurricane Javier (shown in the image to the right) was an intense category 4 storm at its peak on September 14th. It formed as a tropical depression on September 10th about 350 miles south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Tropical storm strength was reached on the 11th and hurricane strength on the 12th as Javier moved to the west-northwest. The storm moved to the northwest as it rapidly intensified and its peak intensity was reached as it was about 250 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo. |
 Image of Javier courtesy of NASA Click for larger image |
| As Javier slowly moved towards Baja California over the next several days, the storm weakened and came ashore on the west coast of Baja, near San Ignacio as only a 28 mph (25 kt) tropical depression. Moisture from Javier spread over northern Mexico and Arizona, however there were no significant impacts of Javier. |
August
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Four named tropical systems formed in August - one hurricane and three tropical storms, one of which became a hurricane in September. There were no major hurricanes in August. The climatological average for August is for four tropical storms and two hurricanes, including one major to form.
Tropical Storm Estelle formed from the same tropical wave that produced Charley in the Atlantic. Estelle reached a maximum sustained windspeed of 63 mph (55 kts) on August 21st as it moved toward the central Pacific. As a central Pacific storm, peak winds reached 69 mph (60 kts). |
| Hurricane Frank reached peak intensity of 86 mph (75 kts) on August 24th, category 1 on the saffir-simpson scale. It developed about 400 miles south of Cabo San Lucas on August 23rd and rapidly intensified to hurricane strength the same day. Frank dissipated on the 26th as it moved westward over cooler waters. Tropical Storm Georgette formed on the 26th about 350 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. As Georgette moved west-northwestward, it strengthened to reach a maximum sustained wind of 63 mph (55 kts) on the 29th. The storm dissipated on August 30th about 975 miles west southwest of Cabo San Lucas. |
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| Howard formed on the 30th about 400 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. It intensified to reach tropical storm strength on the 31st and became a hurricane in September. More details will be available in the September section. |
July
| Despite some tropical activity in July, seasonal activity for the eastern tropical Pacific was still below climatology as of the end of the month. Three named storms formed in July with two developing into hurricanes. |
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Hurricane Darby reached peak intensity of 105 kts (mph) on July 29th and in doing so became the first major hurricane (category 3 or above on the saffir-simpson scale) since Hurricane Kenna in October 2002. Darby did not influence land during its lifetime and weakened to a tropical storm on the 30th, becoming a depression on the 31st. Other storms for July were Tropical Storm Blas and Hurricane Celia. Neither directly affected land, although some strong winds were felt on southern Baja Californa from extensive TS Blas as it moved northwest well offshore past the peninsula in mid July. Celia gradually intensified to hurricane strength on July 22 at about 850 miles west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico before weakening over cooler waters.
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June
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No tropical storms or hurricanes developed in June 2004 in the eastern North Pacific. This is quite unusual compared to climatology. On average, two tropical storms, with one reaching hurricane strength, will form in the eastern North Pacific during June. The last time that no tropical activity was recorded in June was in 1969. Sea surface temperatures were above average off the coast of Mexico and warm enough to support tropical activity.
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May
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The eastern North Pacific hurricane season officially begins on May 15th, generally peaks in late August/early September and concludes around the end of November. On May 17th, disturbed weather crossed Central America from the east and became a tropical depression on May 22nd approximately 600 miles south/south-east of Baja Peninsula, Mexico. The system reached tropical storm strength (34 kts/39 mph) later that day and became the first named storm of the season (Agatha) for the eastern North Pacific. Tropical Storm Agatha remained nearly stationary for the next several days before dissipating due to a cooler sea surface and drier air on May 25th. Maximum sustained windspeeds of 50 knots (58 mph) were reached for the storm and Agatha never threatened land. The ACE index for TS Agatha can be found here.
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Questions?
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For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division: Climate Services Division NOAA/National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-5001 fax: 828-271-4876 phone: 828-271-4800 email: questions@ncdc.noaa.gov For further information on the historical climate perspective presented in this report, contact: David Levinson NOAA/National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-5001 fax: 828-271-4328 email: David.Levinson@noaa.gov |
NCDC / Climate Monitoring / Climate of 2004 / hurricanes / Search / Help
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