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This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at wikipedia:en:2011 Atlantic hurricane season. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Hurricane Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
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Hurricane Ophelia (2011)
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Hurricane Ophelia was a tropical cyclone that formed on September 21 and dissipated on October 3. It dissipated due to strong wind shear on September 25 but just 2 days later it regenerated into a Tropical Depression. Over the next few days, Ophelia would become the strongest storm of the season with 140mph (220 km/h) winds and a central pressure of 940 mbar.
Ophelia brushed Bermuda as a strong Category 4 hurricane but minimal damage was reported. The storm continued northwards and then made landfall on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland.
Meteorological history[]
In mid-September, a well-defined tropical wave emerged off the African coastline. Moving westward, the disturbance began to gather organization, and become very well defined on September 20. Subsequently, the National Hurricane Center started issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Ophelia. Almost as soon as it became a tropical storm, vertical wind shear began impacting the system. Ophelia slowly strengthened despite the unfavorable conditions and attained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) on September 22. The system briefly weakened to a minimal tropical storm before strengthening again. However, because of the extremely strong wind shear, Ophelia was ripped apart and dissipated into a post-tropical remnant low on September 25. Wind shear remained strong, but not as strong as before. Thus, during the afternoon hours of September 27, Ophelia was able to develop convection near its center, and was designated a tropical depression. Ophelia gradually strengthened further into a tropical storm as it passed to the north of the Carribean. In Dominica, heavy rains from the storm caused widespread flooding. During the afternoon hours of September 29, despite the relatively unfavorable environment, Ophelia strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. As wind shear relaxed, early on September 30, Ophelia rapidly intensified and became a Category 2 hurricane. Later that day, Ophelia further strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, becoming the third major hurricane of the season. The eye of Ophelia passed directly over a NOAA buoy early on October 1, which reported sustained winds of 96 mph (155 km/h) and a pressure of 952 mbar (28.11 inHg). The intensification trend continued, and Ophelia strengthened further to a strong Category 4 hurricane late that day east of Bermuda. Early on Sunday, southwesterly wind shear increased and water temperatures decreased, and Ophelia weakened back into a Category 3 hurricane. Over the next day, Ophelia weakened rapidly into a Tropical Storm and became a post-tropical storm in the early hours of October 3.
Impact[]
Bermuda[]
Ophelia passed east of Bermuda as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 140 mph. Residents of Bermuda reported large waves and strong winds.
Newfoundland[]
Just before Ophelia made landfall on the Avalon Peninsula, the system weakened into a Tropical Storm. Ophelia made landfall at the same place that Hurricane Maria did a couple of weeks ago. Ophelia was moving very fast at 40 mph so hardly any damage was reported.
Europe[]
On Wednesday 5 October, the remnants of Ophelia passed over the United Kingdom, producing strong winds and larger gusts. 15ft waves were reported off the Western coast of the UK. Light rainfall was produced, and there was snowfall on top of hills.