Hurricane Fred was the easternmost

Atlantic hurricane An Atlantic hurricane, also known as tropical storm or simply hurricane, is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily between the months of June and November. A hurricane differs from a cyclone or typhoon only on the basis of ...

to form in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

, and the first to move through

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

since

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

. The second hurricane and sixth

named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...

of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, Fred originated from a well-defined

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

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

in late August 2015. Once offshore, the wave moved northwestward within a favorable

tropospheric The troposphere is the first and lowest layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, and contains 75% of the total mass of the planetary atmosphere, 99% of the total mass of water vapour and aerosols, and is where most weather phenomena occur. From ...

environment and strengthened into 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 August 30. The following day, Fred grew to a

Category 1 hurricane Category 1 can refer to: *Category 1 cable, an electrical standard for communications wiring * Category 1 tropical cyclone, on any of the Tropical cyclone scales * Cat11egory 1 pandemic, on the Pandemic Severity Index, an American influenza pandemi ...

with peak winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) as it approached Cape Verde. After passing Boa Vista and moving away from Santo Antão, it entered a phase of steady weakening, dropping below hurricane status by September 1. Fred then turned to the west-northwest, enduring increasingly hostile

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 ...

, but maintained its status as a tropical cyclone despite repeated forecasts of rapid dissipation. It fluctuated between minimal tropical storm and tropical depression strength through September 4–5 before curving sharply to the north. By September 6, Fred's circulation pattern had diminished considerably, and the storm dissipated later that day. Under threat from the hurricane, all of Cape Verde was placed under a

hurricane 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 ...

for the first time in the nation's history.

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 ).Barlavento region throughout August 31, downing trees and utility poles. On the easternmost islands of Boa Vista and Sal, Fred leveled roofs and left villages without power or phone services for a few days. About 70 percent of the houses in

Povoação Velha Povoação Velha is a village in the southwestern part of the island of Boa Vista, Cape Verde.São Nicolau endured great losses of crops and livestock. Material damage across Cape Verde totaled US$2.5 million, though the rain's overall impact on agriculture was positive and replenishing. Swells from the hurricane produced violent seas along the West African shoreline, destroying fishing villages and submerging swaths of residential areas in

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

. Between the coasts of West Africa and Cape Verde, maritime incidents related to Fred resulted in nine deaths.

Meteorological history

Early on August 28, the U.S.

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 ...

(NHC) began monitoring an unusually vigorous

—an elongated area of low air pressure—inland over

. Trailed by widespread cloudiness, the wave tracked toward the open Atlantic as it developed a broad cyclonic rotation within the lower atmosphere near

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

's coastline. The disturbance veered toward the northwest and entered the ocean off

Conakry Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...

around 18:00 UTC, August 29. By that time, the NHC was predicting favorable conditions for the development of a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. Strong thunderstorms thrived overnight and consolidated near a well-defined low-pressure center; around midnight August 30,

satellite images 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 im ...

and

scatterometer A scatterometer or diffusionmeter is a scientific instrument to measure the return of a beam of light or radar waves scattered by diffusion in a medium such as air. Diffusionmeters using visible light are found in airports or along roads to measur ...

data confirmed that 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 ...

with sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) had formed about 300 miles (480 km) west-northwest of Conakry. Although tropical cyclones in the extreme eastern Atlantic are typically propelled westward by high pressures from the North Atlantic subtropical ridge, this depression took an atypical northwestward path along a breach in the ridge from a previous disturbance. Its cyclonic structure steadily improved as a sharply curved

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 ima ...

tightened around the center, resembling the precursor to an eye. At 06:00 UTC on August 30, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Fred while 390 mi (625 km) east-southeast of

Praia Praia (, Portuguese language, Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

—among the four easternmost locations for a tropical storm to form since modern record-keeping began in 1851. A steady trend of intensification ensued while Fred moved through a region with ample tropical moisture, light upper winds, and above-average

sea surface temperature 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 mass ...

s. The storm developed a thick, circular

central dense overcast The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...

with good

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 ...

, and the eye feature became well established at all levels of the circulation. Based on these characteristics, as well as satellite intensity estimates of 75 mph (120 km/h) winds, Fred was upgraded to a

at 00:00 UTC, August 31. Then centered 165 mi (270 km) east-southeast of

Sal, Cape Verde Sal (Portuguese for "salt") is an island in Cape Verde. Sal is a tourist destination with white sandy beaches and over 350 days of sunshine a year. It is one of the three sandy eastern islands of the Cape Verde archipelago in the central Atlantic ...

, it became the easternmost tropical cyclone ever to attain hurricane status in the

tropical Atlantic The Tropical Atlantic realm is one of twelve marine realms that cover the world's coastal seas and continental shelves. The Tropical Atlantic covers both sides of the Atlantic. In the western Atlantic, it extends from Bermuda, southern Florida, ...

A compact cyclone, Fred quickly reached its peak strength as a hurricane, with a minimum central pressure of 986

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...

(

hPa HPA may refer to: Organizations * Harry Potter Alliance, a charity * Halifax Port Authority, Canada * Hamburg Port Authority, Germany * Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US * Health Protection Agency, UK * Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...

; 29.12

inHg Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...

) and 85 mph (140 km/h) winds. Through the rest of August 31, the hurricane traversed the

Barlavento Islands The Barlavento Islands (Portuguese: ''Ilhas de Barlavento'', literally, the ''Windward Islands'') is the northern group of the Cape Verde archipelago.Boa Vista around 12:00 UC. Gradually decreasing in definition, the eye passed north of São Nicolau and then north-northeast of Santo Antão over the next 12 hours. On September 1, drier air and stronger

aloft dispersed the

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 ...

around the cyclone's core, causing Fred to diminish to a tropical storm. The weakened storm turned slightly toward the west-northwest, over considerably cooler waters, in response to high pressure rebuilding to its north. Through much of September 1–4, Fred produced limited convective activity, with intermittent flares of thunderstorms that were continuously blown away from the center by the strong upper winds. Despite the adverse environment and the storm's lack of stable convection, Fred maintained a robust spiral of low-level clouds and

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 ). Concurrently, a deep-altitude disturbance a few hundred miles east of

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

began to erode the southern edge of the high-pressure ridge that Fred had circumnavigated for most of its journey. This changed the steering pattern in the region, turning the depression abruptly to the north on September 6. Over the next hours, Fred became increasingly diffuse because of its progressively worsening surroundings. It officially lost its status as a tropical cyclone at 18:00 UTC on September 6, degenerating into a surface trough about 1,200 mi (1,950 km) to the southwest of the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

before merging with the disturbance off Bermuda.

Preparations and impact

West Africa

Swells from Fred reached wide stretches of the West African coastline, stirring up high seas as far north as

. Along the shorelines between

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

and

M'Bour M'Bour or Mbour ( ar, مبور; Wolof: ''Mbuur''), is a city in the Thiès Region of Senegal. It lies on the Petite Côte, approximately eighty kilometers south of Dakar. It is home to a population of nearly 233,000 (2013 census). The city's m ...

, rough surf devastated entire fishing districts and harbor towns, stranding boats and damaging roads and bridges. About 200 houses were demolished in the district of Hann, many of which experienced total wall collapse; dwellings in the town of Bargny endured similar destruction. In the suburb of

Rufisque Rufisque ( ar, روفيسك; Wolof: Tëngeéj) is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 (2002 census). In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but ...

, the waves overtopped dams, entered homes and cemeteries, and destroyed a mosque. Several villages outside the capital area were completely cut off from their surroundings. Victims across the affected region received more than 100 tons (220,000 lbs) of rice and 12 million

CFA francs The CFA franc (french: franc CFA, , Franc of the Financial Community of Africa, originally Franc of the French Colonies in Africa, or colloquially ; abbreviation: F.CFA) is the name of two currencies, the West African CFA franc, used in eight Wes ...

(US$20,000) in government relief funds. Farther south, in

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

, a

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 ...

flooded roads and low-lying establishments, such as offices and military barracks. The sea water submerged vast amounts of cropland in the

Tombali Region Tombali is one of the eight regions in Guinea-Bissau. It is located in the extreme south of the country and its capital is Catió. There has not been any local administration since the civil war of 1998-99 and all social services are done by or ...

, resulting in great losses of rice. Republished by Angola Formativa. Offshore, waves as high as 23 feet (7 m) capsized a fishing boat with a crew of 19; twelve members were rescued, but the remaining seven disappeared at sea and were presumed dead.

Cape Verde

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 ...

was issued for Cape Verde upon the storm's formation, as well as a

hurricane 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 ...

in light of forecasts of additional intensification. When Fred showed definitive signs of strengthening, the alerts were replaced by a

, marking the first occasion of a hurricane-level advisory in the nation's history. On the morning of August 31,

TACV Cabo Verde Airlines Cabo Verde Airlines is an international airline based in Cape Verde. It connects three continents with non-stop flights from their hub at Amílcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island. History Cabo Verde Airlines was established in 1958 ...

suspended its flights from the capital of Praia to Dakar; all operations at the airports of Boa Vista, Sal, and São Vicente were halted when squalls began to spread across the islands. Officials urged shipping interests on all islands to secure their vessels and remain in port. A national music festival was canceled in

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...

, on the northernmost island of Santo Antão. Throughout Cape Verde, Hurricane Fred displaced more than 50 families and caused CVE$250 million ($2.5 million) in damage, primarily to the agricultural and private sectors of the Barlavento Islands. It was the first hurricane to move through Cape Verde with a documented impact, as well as the nation's only record of onshore hurricane-force winds. Although there were no casualties on land, two fishermen navigating through the storm never returned to port in Boa Vista and were presumed dead. Despite the losses in crops and livestock in the Barlavento region, the rainfall from Fred had a generally positive effect on the large-scale agriculture of Cape Verde, refilling rivers and reservoirs and irrigating drought-stricken farmland across the

Sotavento Islands The Sotavento Islands (Portuguese: ''Ilhas de Sotavento'', literally, the ''Leeward Islands'') is the southern island group of the Cape Verde archipelago.

Barlavento Islands

Traversing the eastern islands on the afternoon of August 31, Fred brought strong thunderstorms with 60 mph (100 km/h) winds and 3.8 inches (96 mm) of rain to Boa Vista, uprooting trees, damaging roofs and plaster, and knocking out power to most of the population. The winds toppled a transmission tower in

Sal Rei Sal Rei is a cityCabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015

, disrupting cellphone services. Two inhabitants were taken to hospital for non-critical injuries after their home had partially collapsed. Floods swept through low-lying areas of

Rabil Rabil is a townCabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015

and cut off the main road to surrounding towns, hampering emergency workers. The southern village of

Povoação Velha Povoação Velha is a village in the southwestern part of the island of Boa Vista, Cape Verde.CVE$3 million (US$30,000). A compromised infrastructure left the village without power and telephone services for five days. Throughout Boa Vista, estimated losses from Fred totaled CVE$76 million ($760,000), including CVE$26 million ($260,000) in restoration costs. Similar conditions occurred in parts of Sal. Along the island's southern shore, Fred's storm surge sunk or stranded dozens of vessels and destroyed the island's main tourist pier in Santa Maria. Restoration efforts had not yet been completed by May 2017, about 1.5 years after the hurricane; the delay led to concerns over the island's precarious, tourism-reliant economy. Hotels, restaurants, and beach facilities were flooded, and roads in the town became impassable. Gusts leveled the roof of a high school gym, which had initially been set up as a storm shelter to 100 citizens. Elsewhere on the island, the winds knocked out power to homes in Palmeira, and caused minor structural damage to Sal International Airport. At the height of the storm, floods forced nearly 130 people living in the impoverished outskirts of Terra Boa and

Espargos Espargos (Portuguese for "asparagus") is the capital and main commercial centre of the island and municipality of Sal, Cape Verde. The city

to relocate to shelters. Fred destroyed 80 percent of the

Loggerhead sea turtle The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when fully ...

nests on the beaches of Sal, crucial nesting sites for the species. Overall, the hurricane left CVE$30 million ($300,000) in damage across Sal. Fred produced strong winds and downpours across the mountainous northern islands of Barlavento. São Nicolau experienced sustained hurricane-force winds of 80 mph (130 km/h)—the highest official wind speed recorded during hurricane. Rainfall there was moderate, peaking at 3.5 in (90 mm) at

Juncalinho Juncalinho is a townCabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015< ...

. The blustery weather uprooted many old trees, triggered landslides, and left the villages on the island without power. The strong winds downed power poles and wrecked the roof of a church in the village of

Cabeçalinho Cabeçalinho is a settlement in the western part of the island of São Nicolau, Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 155. It is situated 3 km southwest of Ribeira Brava and 6 km northeast of Tarrafal de São Nicolau. To its northwest is Monte ...

. In Ribeira Brava, São Nicolau's most populous town, the storm damaged 70 homes, destroyed greenhouses, and leveled a farmhouse, leaving some families homeless and others without a source of income. In Carriçal, the torrential rainfall flooded homes, washed out roads, and ruined fruit and

hydroponic Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in aqueous solvents. Terrestrial or aquatic plan ...

crops. Much of São Nicolau's livestock, including cattle from Hortelã, was lost in the storm. Damage to agriculture—primarily banana and sugarcane—and private property on the island reached CVE$50 million ($500,000). Cape Verde Barlavento Lage

On the neighboring islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, the storm's impact was limited to power outages, floods, and damaged crops. Santo Antão recorded light winds and 8 in (200 mm) of rain, although higher elevations received greater quantities. In

, 35 people were relocated as floods swept through neighborhoods. The rain washed out the island's carrot, cabbage, and tomato plantations, especially in the vicinity of

Alto Mira Alto Mira is a settlement in the northwestern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. It is situated 4 km southeast of Ribeira da Cruz and 18 km northwest of the island capital Porto Novo. Its population was 1,003 at the 2010 censu ...

. On São Vicente, roads were closed in and around Laginha. Gusts toppled two trees, one striking a car and lightly injuring the driver. Hurricane-related costs for the two islands, mainly infrastructural repair, totaled CVE$16 million ($160,000).

Sotavento Islands

The impact of Fred on the Sotavento region was relatively minor. The storm's outer bands dropped heavy rain on the islands of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

and Fogo, peaking at 13 in (330 mm) in the mountains of Santiago and causing flood damage to roads, sidewalks, and walls. In São Miguel, on the former island, flood waters and fallen trees led to major traffic obstructions. Structural damage across Santiago, mostly due to

urban flooding Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a built environment, particularly in more densely populated areas, caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems, such as storm sewers. Although sometimes triggered by even ...

, reached CVE$87 million ($860,000). Conversely, the rains replenished dried-up water resources; a large reservoir in São Salvador do Mundo was filled to maximum capacity, irrigating adjacent arable lands.

Notes

References

External links

* The National Hurricane Center'
advisory archive on Hurricane Fred
* The National Hurricane Center's {{DEFAULTSORT:Fred 2015 in Cape Verde

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

September 2015 events in Africa Fred (2015) Fred (2015) Fred (2015)