1997 STORM SUMMARY FOR THE NORTH PACIFIC.EAST OF 140 DEGREES
WEST LONGITUDE.
SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY DURING 1997...
Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern pacific basin
was near normal during 1997. There were 17 named tropical storms of which
nine became hurricanes. The long-term averages are 15.6 named tropical
storms of which 8.7 become hurricanes. Seven of this year's hurricanes
attained one-minute wind speeds of 100 knots or greater and hurricane Linda
reached an unprecedented 160 knots. These strong hurricanes appear to be
related to the unusually warm sea-surface temperatures that occurred in
the Eastern pacific this year which in turn may be related to the strong
El nino event that has been so widely discussed. There have been other
seasons with as many or more strong hurricanes. The years 1983 and 1985
both had eight hurricanes with 100 knots or more.
SUMMARY TABLE:
MAX MIN DIRECT
NAME CLASS
DATES WIND
PRESS DEATHS
(KNOTS) (MB)
--------- -------------- -----
------- ----- ------
ANDRES TROPICAL STORM JUN 1-7
45 998
BLANCA TROPICAL STORM JUN 9-12
40 1002
CARLOS TROPICAL STORM JUN 25-28
45 996
DOLORES HURRICANE
JUL 5-12 80
975
ENRIQUE HURRICANE
JUL 12-16 100
960
FELICIA HURRICANE
JUL 14-22 115
948
GUILLERMO HURRICANE
JUL 30-AUG 15 140
919
HILDA TROPICAL STORM
AUG 9-15 45
1000
IGNACIO TROPICAL STORM AUG 17-19
35 1005
JIMENA HURRICANE
AUG 25-30 115
942
KEVIN TROPICAL STORM
SEP 3-7 50
994
LINDA HURRICANE
SEP 9-17 160
902
MARTY TROPICAL STORM
SEP 12-16 40
1002
NORA HURRICANE
SEP 16-26 115
950 2
OLAF TROPICAL STORM
SEP 26-OCT 12 60
989
PAULINE HURRICANE
OCT 5-10 115
948 230
RICK HURRICANE
NOV 7-10 75
980