The 1991 Pacific hurricane season was a near-average Pacific hurricane season. The worst storm this year was Tropical Storm Ignacio, which killed 23 people in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
and injured 40 others. Elsewhere,
Hurricane Fefa caused flooding in Hawaii. Hurricane Kevin was the strongest system of the season and became the then longest-lasting hurricane in the eastern north Pacific
basin at the time, and Hurricane Nora was the strongest November storm to that point. The season officially started on May 15, 1991, in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1991, in the central Pacific. It lasted until November 30, 1991, in both basins. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Seasonal summary
ImageSize = width:800 height:215
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20
Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270
AlignBars = early
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/05/1991 till:01/12/1991
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/06/1991
Colors =
id:canvas value:gray(0.88)
id:GP value:red
id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤38_mph_(≤62_km/h)
id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117_km/h)
id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h)
id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h)
id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h)
id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h)
id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥157_mph_(≥252_km/h)
Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData =
barset:Hurricane
bar:Month
PlotData=
barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till
from:16/05/1991 till:20/05/1991 color:TS text:"Andres (TS)"
from:14/06/1991 till:22/06/1991 color:TS text:"Blanca (TS)"
from:16/06/1991 till:27/06/1991 color:C3 text:"Carlos (C3)"
from:24/06/1991 till:29/06/1991 color:C1 text:"Delores (C1)"
from:29/06/1991 till:01/07/1991 color:TD text:"Five-E (TD)"
from:15/07/1991 till:31/07/1991 color:C1 text:"Enrique (C1)"
from:29/07/1991 till:08/08/1991 color:C3 text:" Fefa (C3)"
from:04/08/1991 till:10/08/1991 color:C1 text:"Guillermo (C1)"
barset:break
from:08/08/1991 till:14/08/1991 color:TS text:"Hilda (TS)"
from:12/09/1991 till:13/09/1991 color:TD text:"Ten-E (TD)"
from:16/09/1991 till:19/09/1991 color:TS text:" Ignacio (TS)"
from:20/09/1991 till:02/10/1991 color:C4 text:"Jimena (C4)"
from:25/09/1991 till:11/10/1991 color:C4 text:"Kevin (C4)"
from:03/10/1991 till:14/10/1991 color:C3 text:"Linda (C3)"
from:07/10/1991 till:18/10/1991 color:C1 text:"Marty (C1)"
from:07/11/1991 till:12/11/1991 color:C2 text:"Nora (C2)"
bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas
from:01/05/1991 till:01/06/1991 text:May
from:01/06/1991 till:01/07/1991 text:June
from:01/07/1991 till:01/08/1991 text:July
from:01/08/1991 till:01/09/1991 text:August
from:01/09/1991 till:01/10/1991 text:September
from:01/10/1991 till:01/11/1991 text:October
from:01/11/1991 till:01/12/1991 text:November
TextData =
pos:(570,30)
text:"(From the"
pos:(617,30)
text:" Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale)"
During the season, a total of sixteen tropical cyclones developed, featuring ten hurricanes, four tropical storms and two tropical depressions. These totals are close to the
climatological
Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "place, zone"; and , '' -logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. This modern field of stud ...
averages established since 1966, when satellite surveillance began. However, the season was less active than
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, which had a record 16 hurricanes (more than 1991). Yet, it ended late with the first November hurricane on record in the satellite era. On the other hand, the months of July and August, often the most active ones in this basin, only produced two tropical cyclones each. The activity in July was four systems below the average of six at that time due to unusual circulation patterns aloft over the tropical Pacific. A shorter gap in activity from late August to early September was attributed to anomalous flow patterns near the
Baja California Peninsula.
Several tropical cyclones grew into specially long-lived and intense systems. For example, Hurricane Kevin endured as a hurricane for 12½ days to the east of
140°W, establishing a new record for longevity in the eastern Pacific.
None of the tropical storms or hurricanes made landfall. One of the two tropical depressions of the season, Five-E, came ashore near
Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.
It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the I ...
, Mexico, on the last day of June. Delores, Ignacio and Marty threatened the coast of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, coming close enough to require
tropical cyclone watches and warnings
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 ...
. Of these, Ignacio was also responsible for 40 injuries and 23 fatalities as the system passed just offshore of
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.
Born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, to a working-class family, Cárdenas joined the M ...
. Public advisories were issued for four other systems due to the threat of heavy rain along the coast.
Tropical cyclone data was gathered at six hour intervals throughout the season. Even though most intensity assessments were estimates via the
Dvorak Technique
The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensitie ...
, there was a large research mission for
tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is 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 temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tropi ...
in the Pacific. A
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
research mission investigated Hurricane Jimena and gathered a few surface observations. Track forecasts were slightly more accurate than the past three years; intensity forecasts were comparable to the previous three seasons.
Systems
Tropical Storm Andres
On May 16, the first tropical depression of the season formed to the southwest of
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
, out of a tropical disturbance that had developed during May 5 within the vicinity of Panama.
During May 16 the depression gradually developed, before early the next day the National Hurricane Centre declared it a tropical storm and named it Andres.
The newly named tropical cyclone reached its peak intensity of 60 mph (95 km/h), later that day.
After maintaining its peak intensity for 24 hours, Andres started to gradually weaken as upper level windshear over the system increased before it dissipated during May 20.
Throughout its life as a tropical cyclone, Andres moved very little and slowly executed a cyclonic loop, while remaining well away from any land.
Tropical Storm Blanca
A well organized
tropical wave
A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
over northern Africa entered the Atlantic Ocean on May 31. The wave never showed signs of organization while crossing the Atlantic. It emerged into the eastern north Pacific on June 10. It was not until June 13 when the convection associated with the wave became better organized. On June 14, Tropical Depression Two-E formed at a location about 515 mi (830 km) from
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, Mexico.
For the next 48 hours, the depression moved toward the west and then northwest in response to a weakening ridge to the northwest. On June 17, the strong shear relaxed somewhat and the exposed center moved under the deep convection again. Thus, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm about 725 mi (1,165 km) south of the southern tip of Baja California. Tropical Storm Blanca experienced limited development, reaching its peak windspeed of 60 mph (95 km/h) early on June 20. Then, the center of Blanca became exposed again and weakened into a tropical depression on June 21. Finally, it dissipated on June 22 over colder waters about 1285 mi (2,380 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.
There were no casualties or damages attributed to this tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Carlos
A tropical wave left the African coast on June 4 showing some cyclonic curvature in the low clouds. It passed
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
six days later, where a low-to-mid wind shift was detected. The wave was followed by a low level wind surge which was observed in
Curaçao
Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...
on June 12. Most of the shower activity associated with the wave moved westward over South America, and then over
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
on June 14. The convection became organized and developed into Tropical Depression Three-E on June 16 while it was located 350 mi (560 km) south of
Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.
It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the I ...
. It became a tropical storm one day later. Carlos reached minimal hurricane strength on June 18. Two days later, Carlos was briefly downgraded to
tropical storm
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 ...
status. A strong
high pressure system
A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...
forced Carlos to move over warmer waters and Carlos began to reintensify. Carlos regained hurricane status and developed a well-defined
eye and excellent upper level
outflow
Outflow may refer to:
*Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy
*Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star
*Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system
* Outflow ...
. On June 24, Carlos peaked at central pressure and 115 mph (185 km/h) maximum sustained winds. The hurricane then weakened when it moved west over colder waters and encountered upper-level shear. Carlos dissipated on June 27. The
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
received no reports of impact due to this tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Delores
Delores developed from a tropical wave which moved from Africa to the Atlantic on June 7. And it was not until June 22 when it gained organization and was identified as an area of disturbed weather south of Mexico.
The system immediately showed signs of rotation and it was designated Tropical Depression Four-E the same day. It was centered about south-southeast of
Manzanillo, Mexico. Then, the depression reached storm strength, and was named Delores on June 24 while 145 mi (230 km) from the coast of Mexico. It rapidly intensified to a hurricane on June 25 as it approached to the coast. However it rapidly weakened and on June 27 it was downgraded to tropical storm status as it was moving over colder waters. Its deep convection gradually diminished and its west-northwestward motion abruptly halted as the system was being sheared. It weakened to a depression on June 28 near
Socorro Island
Socorro Island ( es, Isla Socorro) is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km (10.25 by 7.15 miles), with an area of . It is the largest ...
and it dissipated on June 29.
In response to Delores' approach, the Mexican government issued a
tropical storm warning
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 ...
and a hurricane watch from
Ixtapa
Ixtapa (, ) is a resort city in Mexico, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the state of Guerrero. It is located northwest of the municipal seat, Zihuatanejo, and northwest of Acapulco.
In the 2005 IN ...
to Manzanillo on June 24. The watch and the warning were dropped the next day. The cyclone remained far away enough that no reports of high winds were received. Satellite observations indicated that heavy rains fell in affected areas from June 23 to 26. However, no damages or casualties were reported.
Tropical Depression Five-E
A tropical disturbance south of the
Gulf of Tehuantepec
Gulf of Tehuantepec () is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Many (but not all) Pacific hurricanes form in or near this body of water. A strong, gale-force wind called the Tehuan ...
became better organized on June 29 and became a tropical depression.
Strengthening was very limited as the depression was approaching to land.
It made landfall later that day very near of
Salina Cruz, Oaxaca
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.
It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the I ...
.
As it continued its west-northwest track, it dissipated inland after bringing torrential rains.
Five-E caused the year's lone fatality and caused the most significant damage. Five-E destroyed up to 118 homes, injured 500, and also caused two people to go missing.
Rainfall
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
totals as high as in 24 hours accompanied the depression over
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
Hurricane Enrique
Enrique formed from a westward-moving tropical wave that crossed the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
from June 30 to July 8. A short-lived cyclonic circulation center within the wave was detected on satellite imagery when the system was over the eastern Atlantic. However, persistent deep convection did not occur until the wave neared the
Gulf of Tehuantepec
Gulf of Tehuantepec () is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Many (but not all) Pacific hurricanes form in or near this body of water. A strong, gale-force wind called the Tehuan ...
in the eastern Pacific Ocean on July 11. On July 12, the convection became more concentrated about south of
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, near a mid-level vortex within the wave; however, it had diminished the next day. On July 14, it became better organized. Based on reports from
satellite imagery
Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell ima ...
the low had developed into the seasons season's sixth tropical depression on July 15.
The depression intensified further and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Enrique the next day as it became better organized.
Enrique steadily intensified and by early on July 16, the
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
was anticipating for the system to reach
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 ...
intensity.
Continuing to strengthen, it reached hurricane status On July 17. However, this was for a short period of time as it developed an
eye. Due to uncertainty in the storm's intensity that day, it is possible that it could have been a hurricane earlier than originally estimated.
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 ...
associated with 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 ...
and passage over cooler waters caused Enrique to begin weakening and the cyclone's center soon became exposed. Enrique was downgraded to a depression on July 19 and the weakening cyclone crossed into the central Pacific on July 20.
The system persisted drifting northwestward for several days, while maintaining a well-defined, albeit weak, center of circulation.
On July 27, after it passed well to the north of the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
, Enrique managed to briefly re-intensify to tropical storm status, attaining a secondary peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h), while completing a clockwise loop.
As Enrique headed toward the
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 ...
, increased wind shear weakened the system, causing another downgrade to depression status.
[ As the storm approached 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 ...
, the system started to restrengthen. Shortly after crossing the dateline, Enrique became a tropical storm again on August 1. It lasted for less than 24 hours before it lost its convection and thus the cyclone began to dissipate.[ No damages or casualties were caused by Enrique.][
]
Hurricane Fefa
A tropical wave became better organized and it developed into Tropical Depression Seven-E while 976 miles (1570 km) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas (, "Saint Luke Cape"), or simply just Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As at the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 202,694 inhabitan ...
on July 29. The depression intensified quickly and became Tropical Storm Fefa the same day. Fefa continued to strengthen over the warm Pacific water and reached hurricane status on July 31. Satellite imagery showed the appearance of an eye on August 1. Fefa peaked on August 2 with a central pressure of and winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), making it a Category 3 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Fefa crossed into the north central Pacific basin on August 5. As it crossed, wind shear increased and Fefa began to weaken as it approached the Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
as a tropical storm on August 7. Fefa passed over the Big Island and rapidly weakened back to a tropical depression later that day. It finally dissipated on August 9 when northwest 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 ...
.
The remnants of Fefa caused heavy rains and strong winds in the counties of Hawaii 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 ...
. Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...
ing was reported in the Kohala and Hamakua
Hāmākua is a district on the northeast coast of Hawaii (island), Hawaii's Big Island, administered by the Hawaii County, Hawaii, County of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii, Hawaii. It is also the name given for the coastline in the region, the "Hā ...
districts. Lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
injured two persons on the Big Island.
Hurricane Guillermo
A significant tropical wave with very little deep convection left Africa on July 22. It crossed the Atlantic, with convection associated with its southern part passing over the Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...
on July 28 and crossing Central America on July 31.
Signs of organization were evident late on August 2 when the wave was south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec
Gulf of Tehuantepec () is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Many (but not all) Pacific hurricanes form in or near this body of water. A strong, gale-force wind called the Tehuan ...
. Then, on August 4, Tropical Depression Eight-E was formed while centered 350 mi (560 km) south-southeast of Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
. Despite the presence of easterly shear
Shear may refer to:
Textile production
*Animal shearing, the collection of wool from various species
**Sheep shearing
*The removal of nap during wool cloth production
Science and technology Engineering
*Shear strength (soil), the shear strength ...
, the depression gradually intensified as the center moved toward the west-northwest, paralleling the coast of Mexico. Then, it reached tropical storm strength the same day. At that time, it was centered south-southwest of Acapulco. It peaked on August 5 with a central pressure of and maximum sustained winds of while of Manzanillo, Colima
Manzanillo () is a city and seat of Manzanillo Municipality, in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port, responsible for handling Pacific cargo for the Mexico City area. It is the larges ...
.
After its peak, Guillermo weakened to tropical storm status as it began losing convection. It subsequently weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated after that on August 10. There were no damages or casualties associated with this tropical cyclone.
Tropical Storm Hilda
Satellite imagery showed a convective area with some cyclonic turning in connection with a tropical wave over Africa on July 22. The convection gradually diminished as the system moved west-southwest into the Atlantic. On July 31, the wave passed south of Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, where a low-level wind shift was detected. For the next couple of days, this system passed over Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
and Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
. Then it crossed into the Pacific basin. It was not until August 6, while it was south of Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, when the convection became organized. Then, the wave strengthened into a tropical depression about 230 mi (370 km/h) south-southwest of Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, on August 8. The system intensified further and became Tropical Storm Hilda August 9. The storm reached its peak intensity on August 11 with estimated maximum winds and a pressure of . The tropical storm moved on a general west-northwest track for the next couple of days and then turned toward the north on August 13 as it was under the influence of an upper level 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 ...
. Later on that day, tropical storm force winds were reported on Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island ( es, Isla Guadalupe, link=no) is a volcanic island located off the western coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula and about southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California, in the Pacific Ocean. The ...
as the center of Hilda was located about from the island.
Hilda gradually weakened over cool waters but maintained a rather large level of circulation. This caused its dissipation to be slower than normal. Tropical Depression Hilda dissipated on August 14. It large remnant circulation continued northwards and eventually passed over California. There were no casualties or damages attributed to this tropical cyclone. Hilda's remnants caused rain as far north as San Francisco.
Tropical Depression Ten-E
A tropical disturbance southwest of Manzanillo, Colima
Manzanillo () is a city and seat of Manzanillo Municipality, in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port, responsible for handling Pacific cargo for the Mexico City area. It is the larges ...
became a tropical depression on September 12 when its 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 ...
became persistent around a newly formed center of circulation. Conditions were not favorable for development because of strong wind shear environment caused by 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 ...
. The depression took a northward track and dissipates on September 13 as it was being sheared just south of the Gulf of California
The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...
.
Tropical Depression Ten-E brought heavy showers
A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers have temperature, spray pressure and adjustable showerhead nozzle. The simplest showers have a ...
to parts of Mexico. There were no reported deaths or damages.[
]
Tropical Storm Ignacio
On September 11, a tropical wave entered the eastern Pacific. An area of convection developed when it was west of the southern tip of Baja California Peninsula. A trough axis extended southward from the low to the west of the convection. By September 15, the area of disturbed weather included some convective bands. The organization of the convection improved and the cloud system became Tropical Depression Eleven-E the next day. The trough that was near the depression moved the cyclone to the north-northwest, allowing for deepening, with the depression being upgraded to Tropical Storm Ignacio later that day. The track of the tropical storm transcribed a small clockwise loop, and Ignacio reached the northernmost point of the loop on September 17. The storm was centered about 30 mi (45 km) offshore and was near its peak intensity of . Further intensification was precluded by the storm's proximity to land and by shear associated with the upper-level low now located near the Baja California peninsula. As Ignacio turned toward the east, its forward motion slowed. When the storm began moving to the south, it lost its identity very rapidly. Ignacio weakened to depression status and dissipated six hours later. The remnants of Ignacio moved toward the west-southwest over the next two days.
Tropical Storm Ignacio dropped heavy rains over a large area of Mexico. The highest amount recorded was at Pasa de San Antonio. Ten people died in Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
due to flash flooding. The remnants of the storm caused several dams to burst in the state of Chihuahua, leaving 10,000 people homeless and killing another 13. Overall, 40 people were injured.
Hurricane Jimena
Part of the same tropical wave that formed Tropical Storm Danny in the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
crossed over the Isthmus of Panama and became a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...
during mid to late September. On September 20 the cloud pattern had increased in organization and the system was designated a tropical depression. Continuing to strengthen, the depression became a tropical storm on September 21. The tropical storm then headed towards the northwest. Development was rapid, especially after September 22 as a banding type eye was forming. Further rapid development took place by the following day and the maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
s increased to its peak of by the afternoon of September 23. Jimena maintained itself as a powerful hurricane for three days, moving west until September 26, when it turned toward the west-northwest. Jimena began to weaken on September 27. A northwestward movement commenced on September 29 in response to a large upper-level trough which developed in its northwest. It continued to weaken and on September 30 it regained tropical storm intensity before becoming downgraded to a depression. On October 2, Jimena dissipated as a tropical cyclone. Hurricane Jimena caused no reported damage or casualties.
Hurricane Kevin
Kevin formed from a westward-moving tropical wave which emerged from the northwest coast of Africa on September 11. The wave crossed into the Pacific basin on September 21 with no signs of development. Cloudiness and convection became better organized on the first hours of September 24, becoming Tropical Depression Thirteen-E the next day as it was located about southeast of Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
. Then the depression moved toward the west. The banding pattern became more pronounced and the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Kevin later that day, being centered about 316 mi (509 km) south-southeast of Acapulco. The convective banding increased for the next 24 hours and Kevin strengthened to hurricane status on September 26, while south-southwest of Acapulco. Kevin continued to strengthen and an eye intermittently appeared on September 27 and 28.
By September 29, Kevin had a well-defined eye and this feature persisted for several days. The hurricane continued to strengthen and on October 1 reached its peak intensity while centered roughly south-southwest of the southern tip of 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 ...
, with estimated maximum winds and a minimum pressure of . Kevin was moving toward the west at this time. It turned toward the west-southwest due to a strong high pressure system
A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...
located northwest of the hurricane. Then, Kevin began to weaken gradually and its eye became poorly defined on October 4. It weakened on October 6 as the hurricane began turning toward the northwest and continued this general motion for the next few days.
However, a well-defined eye reappeared on satellite imagery in the system and Kevin re-intensified to a low-end Category 3 hurricane with maximum winds of and a minimum pressure of on October 7. But this was short-lived and on October 8 the hurricane began to weaken again and on October 9 it had entered into the Central Pacific basin as a waning Category 1 hurricane. After this crossing, it was subsequently downgraded to storm strength the same day and on October 11, to a depression. It dissipated as a tropical cyclone that same day. The remnant circulation did persist a while longer as it slowly drifted north to finally lose its identity late on October 14. Despite its long life, Hurricane Kevin caused no damage or casualties. Because Kevin passed north of Hawaii, its only effect on land was increased trade winds.
Hurricane Linda
The tropical wave that ultimately produced Hurricane Linda emerged from the northwest coast of Africa on September 16 and tracked westward across the tropical Atlantic. The convection increased markedly upon approaching the Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
on September 21. The tropical wave's northern portion split off to the north and caused showers in Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
, the Bahamas and Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
while the southern part continued and crossed Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
into the Pacific basin on September 25 as a group of disorganized cloud clusters. It took many days to organize and it was not until October 3 when organization improved and the wave became Tropical Depression Fourteen-E.
The tropical depression moved toward the northwest while strengthening and became Tropical Storm
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 ...
Linda within 12 hours. As Linda then drifted to the north it was upgraded to a hurricane on October 5. Then, the hurricane reached its estimated peak intensity of and a minimum central pressure of that same day. Linda began to weaken as it was following Kevin's track and entered to colder waters. Linda turned the west-northwest and passed from Socorro Island
Socorro Island ( es, Isla Socorro) is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km (10.25 by 7.15 miles), with an area of . It is the largest ...
, where it caused sustained winds on October 7. Later that day, Linda weakened to a tropical storm
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 October 9, as Linda was following Kevin's track, the cyclone continued to weaken and was downgraded to a depression, although deep convection continued to intermittently appear. Finally, on early October 14, Linda dissipated. There were no reported casualties or damages from Linda.
Hurricane Marty
On October 5, a tropical wave crossed Central America and it began to organize the next day. Based on satellite classifications, the weather system was upgraded to tropical depression status about south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec
Gulf of Tehuantepec () is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Many (but not all) Pacific hurricanes form in or near this body of water. A strong, gale-force wind called the Tehuan ...
on October 7. It became a tropical storm on October 8 and was named Marty. It reached hurricane status early on October 10 while moving parallel to the coast of Mexico. There were several occasions when an eye was becoming apparent in satellite imagery but it never fully developed. An upper trough over the Western United States forced Marty to moved toward the northwest and north for a while, bringing the hurricane to waters previously cooled by hurricanes Kevin and Linda. Then, Marty disorganized and weakened into a tropical storm. Also, the trough which forced Marty northward moved out of the area, which made that Marty turned sharply to the west, then west-southwest around a high pressure system. Marty weakened further and remained as a tropical depression. It finally dissipated on October 18.
On October 8, Marty was threatening enough to prompt the Mexican government to issue a tropical storm watch
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 ...
from Manzanillo to Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
. The warning was dropped on October 9 when Marty moved away. There were no associated casualties or damages with this tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Nora
On November 7, an area of convection associated with a tropical wave developed into a tropical depression, while located about to the southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. During that day the depression moved towards the northwest, intensified into a tropical storm and was named Nora later that day. On the next day, the storm gradually intensified further while temporarily moving towards the west, due to the flow field around a strengthening high pressure system located to the north of Nora. After developing an eye, Nora intensified into a hurricane.
On November 9, Nora. It peaked as a Category 2 hurricane on November 10. A large 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 ...
moved in from the west and formed a low. Shear increased and disrupted Nora's convection. The low also caused an abrupt change of course to the northeast. Nora weakened to a depression on November 11 and dissipated the next day. Nora's remnants continued to the northeast, showing brief flare-ups of convection. No deaths or damage were reported to have occurred in association with Nora, despite probable rainfall totals of around within the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Nayarit.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the eastern Pacific in 1991. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1997 season. This is the same list used for the 1985 season. Also, the name "Dolores" was misspelled "Delores" in this season; however in subsequent seasons, the typo was corrected.
† – The initial spelling is ''Dolores'', however the name ''Delores'' was used this season.
For storms that form in the 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 area of responsibility, encompassing the area between 140 degrees west and the International Date Line
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 ...
, all names are used in a series of four rotating lists. The next four names that were slated for use in 1991 are shown below, however none of them were used.
Retirement
The World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.
The WMO originated from the Internati ...
retired one name in the spring of 1992: Fefa. It was replaced in the 1997 season by Felicia.
Season effects
This is a table of all the storms that have formed in the 1991 Pacific hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 1991 USD.
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
, Colima
Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and ...
, , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
, , Minimal , , 1 , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , 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 ...
, , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Guadalupe Island, California , , Minimal , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Sinaloa , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Jalisco, Guerrero , , Widespread , , 10 , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Hawaii , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , No land areas affected , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Guerrero, Colima , , None , , None , ,
, -
, , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Sinaloa, Nayarit , , None , , None , ,
, -
See also
*List of Pacific hurricanes
This is a list of notable Pacific hurricanes, subdivided by reason for notability. Notability means that it has met some criterion or achieved some statistic, or is part of a top ten for some superlative. It includes lists and rankings of Pacific ...
*Tropical cyclones in 1991
During 1991, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 100 systems formed with 75 of these developing further and ...
*Pacific hurricane season
A Pacific hurricane is a mature tropical cyclone that develops within the northeastern and central Pacific Ocean to the east of 180°W, north of the equator. For tropical cyclone warning purposes, the northern Pacific is divided into three regio ...
*1991 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1991 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season since 1984 in which no hurricanes developed from tropical waves, which are the source for most North Atlantic tropical cyclones. The hurricane season officially began on June 1, and en ...
* 1991 Pacific typhoon season
*1991 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1991 North Indian Ocean Cyclone season was an extremely deadly and destructive season causing the deaths of more than 138,000 people and over $1.5 billion in damages. It was the period in which tropical cyclones formed to the north of the equa ...
*South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season: 1990–91, 1991–92
*Australian region cyclone season: 1990–91, 1991–92
*South Pacific cyclone season: 1990–91, 1991–92
References
External links
NHC 1991 Pacific hurricane season archive
Central Pacific Hurricane Center archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:1991 Pacific Hurricane Season
Pacific hurricane seasons
Articles which contain graphical timelines