Timeline of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was the costliest, as well as the first above-average, Atlantic hurricane season since the 2012 season.[nb 2] It featured the highest number of deaths since the 2008 season and also yielded the highest number of named storm landfalls on the United States since that year.[3][4] The season officially began on June 1 and concluded on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the period during each year when a majority of tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean.[5] The season's first cyclone, Alex, developed on January 12, while the final storm of the season, Otto, closed-out the season by exiting into the Eastern Pacific on November 25, becoming the first Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricane since Hurricane Cesar–Douglas in 1996.[1]

Timeline of the
2016 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedJanuary 12, 2016
Last system dissipatedNovember 25, 2016[nb 1]
Strongest system
NameMatthew
Maximum winds165 mph (270 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure934 mbar (hPa; 27.58 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameNicole
Duration14 days
Storm articles
Other years
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

A total of 16 tropical depressions were recorded, of which 15 further intensified into tropical storms. Of those 15, a total of seven strengthened into hurricanes, while four attained their peaks as major hurricanes.[nb 3] Activity began with Alex which, upon making landfall in the Azores, became the first January landfalling tropical cyclone since Hurricane Alice in the 1954 season.[7] In June, tropical storms Colin and Danielle became the earliest third and fourth named storms, respectively, on record.[8][9] Hermine moved ashore the coastline of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on September 2, ending the record hurricane drought that began in the state after the 2005 season's Hurricane Wilma.[10] In late September and early October, Hurricane Matthew wrought destruction throughout the Caribbean Sea and Southeastern United States, resulting in $15.09 billion (2016 USD) in damage and 603 deaths.[11] In mid-October, Hurricane Nicole developed to Category 4 intensity and remained a major hurricane while directly impacting Bermuda, the first storm of such strength to do so since Hurricane Fabian in the 2003 season.[12] Following the 2016 season, the names Matthew and Otto were retired from reuse in the North Atlantic by the World Meteorological Organization.[13]

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.

By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[14] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central.[15] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first with the respective regional time included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the National Hurricane Center's products. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.

Timeline

Hurricane OttoHurricane Nicole (2016)Hurricane MatthewTropical Storm Julia (2016)Hurricane HermineHurricane Earl (2016)Tropical Storm Colin (2016)Tropical Storm Bonnie (2016)Hurricane Alex (2016)Saffir–Simpson scale

January

January 12

Hurricane Alex at peak intensity on January 14

January 14

January 15

May

May 27

May 28

Tropical Storm Bonnie at its initial peak intensity on May 28

May 29

May 30

June

June 1

  • The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.[5]

June 2

June 3

June 4

Storm path of Tropical Storm Colin during early June

June 5

June 7

Storm path of Tropical Storm Danielle during late June

June 19

June 20

June 21

July

  • No tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean during the month of July.

August

August 2

August 3

Hurricane Earl approaching Belize on August 3

August 4

August 6

August 17

Storm path of Tropical Storm Fiona during mid-August

August 19

August 22

August 23

August 24

August 25

August 27

Hurricane Gaston on the cusp of major hurricane intensity on August 28

August 28

August 29

August 31

September

Hurricane Hermine approaching the coastline of Florida on September 1

September 1

September 2

September 3

September 12

September 13

September 14

Tropical Storm Julia over Georgia on September 14

September 15

September 16

September 17

September 19

Storm path of Tropical Storm Karl during mid- to late September

September 20

September 21

September 22

September 23

Storm path of Tropical Storm Lisa during late September

September 25

September 28

September 29

September 30

October

Hurricane Matthew at Category 5 intensity on October 1

October 1

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

Hurricane Nicole shortly before attaining Category 4 intensity on October 12

October 9

October 11

October 12

October 13

October 14

October 18

November

Hurricane Otto making landfall in Southeastern Nicaragua at peak intensity on November 24

November 20

November 21

November 23

November 24

November 25

November 30

  • The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends.[5]

See also

Notes

References

External links