Current Snapshot

The Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Thursday, December 14, 2023, Tropical Cyclone Activity Report…for the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and adjacent Seas

Current Tropical Cyclones:

There are no active tropical cyclones at the time of this writing

Northeast Pacific Ocean:

The North Pacific hurricane season officially ended on November 30, 2023. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2024. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

The eastern Pacific basin hurricane season was above normal, with 17 named storms, of which 10 were hurricanes and eight of those major hurricanes.

From August 16 to 21, Tropical Storm Hilary brought widespread heavy rainfall and flooding to Southern California, with some areas receiving up to 600% of their normal August rainfall. Hilary resulted in the first ever issuance of Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings for the Southern California coastline by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. In addition, the Center distributed key hazard focused messages for Hilary in Spanish through the agency’s new language translation project.

Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, on October 25 as a category-5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 165 mph. Otis holds the record as the strongest landfalling hurricane in the eastern Pacific, after undergoing rapid intensification in which wind speeds increased by 115 mph in 24 hours.

Central North Pacific:

The central North Pacific hurricane season officially ended on November 30, 2023. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2024. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

The central Pacific basin had a near-normal season with four tropical systems traversing the basin.

Hurricane Dora, a category-4 storm, passed south of Hawaii in early August, marking the first major hurricane in the central Pacific basin since 2020. The strong gradient between a high pressure system to the north and Dora to the south was a contributing factor to the wind-driven, fast-moving wildfires in Hawaii.

Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and adjacent Seas:

Northwest Pacific Ocean…

An area of disturbed weather, being referred to as Invest 91W, is now under investigation by the JTWC…it’s located approximately 617 NM east-southeast of Palau.

Animated multi-spectral satellite imagery depicts a fully exposed low level circulation center (llcc), with isolated and disorganized convection sheared off to the northwest under persistent easterly flow aloft.

Environmental analysis reveals marginally favorable conditions for development with very warm sea surface temperatures, and low (10-15 knot) easterly vertical wind shear offset by moderate westward outflow aloft.

Global deterministic models, specifically GFS and NAVGEM, are in agreement that 91W will slowly consolidate while tracking northwestward towards the southern Philippines. Global models also show a strong signal indicating development of a tropical depression within the next 48 to 72 hours, as the system tracks towards northern Mindanao in the Philippines.

Maximum sustained surface winds are estimated at 15 to 20 knots.

The potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is upgraded to medium.