The 2008 hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico) will start officially this Sunday, June 1. The season will end officially on November 30.

The amount of tropical cyclones that developed last year in this region was, with fifteen tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, about similar to the long term average (eleven tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes).

During the morning of August 17, 2007, hurricane Dean passed at a safe distance (about 220 miles) south of the SSS Islands (see satellite image to the right). Nonetheless, wind gusts up to gale force (60 mph) were observed in these islands. This hurricane made landfall four days later as a category five system in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and was responsible for the loss of 32 human lives in the Caribbean Area and Mexico.

Hurricane Felix passed at a distance of about 55 miles to the north of the ABC Islands during the morning of September 2. It caused rough seas and locally heavy rain in and near these islands. The wind speeds in the islands reached about 40 miles per hour in gusts. Felix became the third major hurricane in four years (Ivan in 2004 and Emily in 2005) to move rather close to the ABC Islands (see radar image below). Felix made landfall two days later, also as a category five system, in the border area between Nicaragua and Honduras, causing an amount of 130 deaths in this region.

At the end of October and early November, tropical storm Noel moved over the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Because of heavy and persistent rains, more than 160 casualties fell in these two countries while about fifty persons were reported missing.

Because of the fact that these three systems caused a large amount of deaths and also a large loss of property in the Caribbean Area and Central America, the names of Dean, Felix and Noel were retired by the members of the WMO RA IV Hurricane Committee during their yearly meeting in Orlando, Florida in the U.S.A. These names will be replaced in 2013 by respectively Dorian, Fernand and Nestor.

Forecasters are once more expecting an fairly active hurricane season with an above average amount of tropical storms and hurricanes. These forecasts from both the Colorado State University and the National Weather Service in the United States are based on parameters like the sea water temperature in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the atmospheric pressure distribution and the related trade winds over the Atlantic. These forecasts by no means indicate when and where the expected systems will develop nor how these will move. Local authorities and the local populations of our islands are therefore urged to prepare in advance and to take the necessary precautions in case watches and warnings are issued.

As usual, the Meteorological Service of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (MDNAA) will monitor the development of these systems and other inclement weather situations which threaten both the ABC as the SSS Islands, closely. In case it’s necessary, we will issue watches or warnings in close coordination with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, which is a so-called Regional Specialized Meteorological Center of the World Meteorological Organization. On a national scale, we will coordinate with island disaster management authorities to make the general public aware of the hazards connected to these systems, so they can prepare themselves for the hurricane season. Read more about tropical cyclones in our islands in the brochure called Hurricanes and Tropical Storms in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba which can be found on our web site (http://www.meteo.an).

The names prepared for this hurricane season are: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, René, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.

Good preparedness and coordination is essential to limit loss of lives and property!