Hurricane Gil was the first of several
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
s to affect
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
during the
1983 Pacific hurricane season. The seventh named storm and third hurricane of the annual season, Gil originated from a
tropical depression
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
that
developed near
Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island ( or ; ) is an uninhabited, coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is from Paris, France, from Papeete, Tahiti, and from Mexico. It is an Overseas France, overseas state private property of France under direct authori ...
on July 23. Steadily intensifying, it attained tropical storm status six hours later and was upgraded to a
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
on July 26. After attaining peak intensity on July 27, Gil encountered cooler
sea surface temperatures
Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masse ...
and began to weaken. Moving west-northwest, the weakening system also accelerated and on July 31, was downgraded to a tropical depression. However, Gil began to re-intensify on August 1, becoming a tropical storm again later that day. Initially expected to veer north of Hawaii, it continued west-northwest and began to approach the Hawaiian group on August 3. While passing through the island group, Gil reached its secondary peak intensity. Subsequently, Gil began to weaken once again as it threatened the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or Leeward Hawaiian Islands are a series of islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest (in some cases, far to the northwest) of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Politically, they are all p ...
. After passing through the islands, Gil was downgraded to a tropical depression on August 5. Several hours later, the storm dissipated. The remnants of the storm moved into the
West Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
late on August 6 and were last noted the next morning while passing south of
Midway Island
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
.
Due to fears of a repeat of
Hurricane Iwa
Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird (iwa, lit. "Thief"), was at the time the costliest hurricane to affect the state of Hawaii. Iwa was the twenty-third tropical storm and the twelfth and final hurricane of the ...
, which devastated the island group the previous year, officials issued many
tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
while seven shelters were opened, though few people actually used these shelters. On
Oahu
Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
, a power outage was reported, affecting 2,400 customers.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
also stung 50 people. Locally heavy rainfall and rough seas led to minor damage while strong winds lead to extensive damage on the north side of the island. On
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
and
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
, minor flooding, as well, though damage was minimal. Offshore, one person is presumed to have died in a shipwreck. In a separate shipping incident, three crewmen were slightly injured. The remnants of Gil later affected the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or Leeward Hawaiian Islands are a series of islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest (in some cases, far to the northwest) of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Politically, they are all p ...
, where near-
gale
A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).[wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...]
and warm ocean temperatures, the
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center The Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center was formerly the center responsible for forecasting Pacific hurricanes in the eastern north Pacific east of 140°W. It was part of the Weather Bureau Forecast Office San Francisco and was based in Redwood City.
...
(EPHC) upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Gil at 0000 UTC on July 24.
Gil was briefly expected to re-curve and approach
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...
, but this never materialized.
Gil subsequently began to intensify; on 0000 UTC July 25, the EPHC reported that Gil had intensified into a strong tropical storm, with winds of . Roughly 24 hours later, the storm was upgraded into a Category 1 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Early on July 27, the storm attained its peak intensity of . Despite turning west-northwest, Hurricane Gil maintained hurricane intensity until 1200 UTC July 29 when the storm began to encounter cooler waters. By 0000 UTC July 31, Gil was downgraded a tropical depression.
Despite a well-defined
atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air and together with ocean circulation is the means by which thermal energy is redistributed on the surface of the Earth. The Earth's atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but t ...
, Gil was still a tropical depression when it entered
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) 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 Pacifi ...
's (CPHC) warning zone on August 1. The circulation gradually became better defined moved as the low moved west-northwest over a pool of slightly warmer waters west of
140th meridian west
The meridian 140° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.
The line is the divider in the area of ...
; later that day, the CPHC reportedly re-upgraded Gil into a tropical storm.
Meanwhile, the storm was forecast to pass north of the
U.S. State
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of Hawaii. Gil accelerated while approaching the
Hawaiian Island group. On August 2, Gil was situated roughly east of the island chain. Gil re-strengthened slightly; on August 3, the tropical cyclone reached its secondary peak
wind speed
In meteorology, wind speed, or wind flow speed, is a fundamental atmospheric quantity caused by air moving from high to low pressure, usually due to changes in temperature. Wind speed is now commonly measured with an anemometer.
Wind speed ...
of . Late on August 4, Tropical Storm Gil made its closest approach to
Oahu
Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
, passing north of Kahuku Point.
While passing through the archipelago, a
Hurricane Hunter aircraft recorded winds of ; however, the CPHC held the intensity of storm at due to calm surface winds. By this time, the strongest winds of the storm were situated north of the center. After clearing the main Hawaiian island chain, Gil began to approach the
Hawaiian Leeward Island group. Continuing west-northwest, Gil passed very close to
French Frigate Shoals
The French Frigate Shoals ( Hawaiian: Kānemilohai) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the ...
on August 4 as a marginal tropical storm. Early on August 5, the system was downgraded into a tropical depression while centered west of
Tern Island. Later that day, Tropical Depression Gil degenerated into a
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
about west-northwest of Tern Island. The remnants of the storm crossed the
International Dateline
The International Date Line (IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the South and North Poles and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific O ...
late on August 6. It then passed south of
Midway Island
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
while still producing deep
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
. The remains of Gil were last noted in the
West Pacific basin early on August 7.
Preparations and impact
Due to fears of a repeat of Hurricane Iwa, advisories and warnings for the main Hawaiian Islands were issued by
meteorologists
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...
and Civil Defense Authorities, who had been criticized for the lack of warning prior to Iwa's near-
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
.
Gale warnings were issued for a much of the islands (except for the
Big Island), but on August 2, these warnings were discontinued for all islands except for Kauai. High surf advisories were also issued. Furthermore, seven shelters were opened as a precaution.
Due to the threat of high waves, residents were warned to be ready to evacuate from low-lying areas.
Tropical Storm Gil was the first tropical cyclone to threaten Hawaii since Hurricane Iwa during did the
1982 Pacific hurricane season
The 1982 Pacific hurricane season, with 23 named storms, ranks as the fourth-most active Pacific hurricane season on record, tied with 2018. It was at that time the most active season in the basin until it was later surpassed by the 1985 season. I ...
, which devastated the region.
[ ] Due to heavy rains, a couple of people sought shelter in
Nanakuli High School on the island.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
stung 50 tourists along two beaches in Oahu, they were treated by life guards and none required hospitalization; the jellyfish were thought to have been residing there due to the storm.
[ ] In addition, one beach on Oahu was closed because of high surf, and swimmers were asked to stay out of the water near
Waikiki
Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...
. Locally gusty winds were recorded on Oahu. On the northern part of the island, winds were reported, resulting in extensive damage in some areas, but slight damage to others. A minor power outage on the island briefly left 2,400 customers without electricity. In Maui, the
outer rainbands of Hurricane Gil brought heavy precipitation, leading to minor flooding. Although winds were calm, locally heavy showers occurred over Kauai. Rough surf pounded the northeastern facing beaches of that island, as well as the northeastern side of Oahu. A sea level pressure of was also recorded.
Overall, damage from Gil was minimal and less than expected.
Later in the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, the state was affected by
Tropical Storm Narda and threatened by
Hurricane Raymond.
Offshore, several ships were affected by the storm. Most notably, a
catamaran
A Formula 16 beachable catamaran
Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States
A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stab ...
, ironically named ''Hurricane'', went missing after leaving
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
on July 20. Gil likely sunk this ship. The vessel had a crew of two, one of which was presumed to have died during the storm. However, as the ship lacked radio equipment, this death remains unconfirmed.
In addition to the above, the 30-foot ship ''Adad'' also got caught into the storm 72 hours after leaving Kauai.
Storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
from all sides nearly sunk the vessel and all three people on board sustained minor injuries, one of which sprained his wrist.
After passing the main islands of Hawaii, Gil approached the Leeward Island group. Tropical Storm Gil passed just south of French Frigate Shoals on August 4 as a minimal tropical storm. Winds were light, gusting to . Meanwhile, a peak pressure of was reported.
See also
*
Other tropical cyclones named Gil
*
List of Hawaii hurricanes
A Hawaiian hurricane is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Pacific Ocean and affects the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii lies in the central Pacific, where about four or five tropical cyclones appear each year, although as many as fifteen have occu ...
*
Hurricane Dalilia (1989)
*
Hurricane Felicia (2009)
Hurricane Felicia was the third strongest tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, as well as the strongest storm to exist in the eastern Pacific at the time since Hurricane Daniel in 2006. Forming as a tropical depression on Aug ...
References
{{1983 Pacific hurricane season buttons
1983 in Hawaii
Gil
Gil (1983)
Gil (1983)
Gil