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Hurricane Nate was a
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
that threatened
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
but remained at sea during early September 2005. The fourteenth
named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
and seventh hurricane of the annual Atlantic hurricane season, Nate formed southwest of Bermuda on September 5 and initially moved very slowly to the northeast. Early forecasts suggested a possible threat to the island, but Nate passed well to its south as a Category 1 hurricane on September 8. After moving away from the island, the storm entered a region with cooler
sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s and unfavorable
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
, causing it to weaken to a tropical storm before becoming
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on September 10. The extratropical remnant was later absorbed by a larger weather system. The hurricane caused no structural damage while tropical, although it generated
rip current A rip current (or just rip) is a specific type of water current that can occur near beaches where waves break. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore by cutting through the lines of bre ...
s in combination with other storms that killed one person off the
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
coast. Nate dropped light rainfall and produced gusty winds on the island of Bermuda. The remnants of hurricanes Nate and
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
contributed to heavy rainfall in parts of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
and later
Western Norway Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...
, triggering a mudslide that killed one person. Canadian Navy ships en route to the US Gulf Coast, carrying relief supplies to assist in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
, were delayed while trying to avoid Nate and Hurricane Ophelia.


Meteorological history

A
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
emerged from the west coast of Africa on August 30 and tracked westward across the Atlantic Ocean, maintaining a vigorous area of
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
along the wave axis. By September 1 most of the deep convection had been stripped away by southwesterly wind shear. Despite this, the wave remained well-defined as it continued west-northwest. The wave split into two pieces; the northern portion passed between the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
and
Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...
on September 3, while the southern portion moved into the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
. On September 4, the northern portion of the wave began to interact with an upper-level
low pressure system In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
and an elongated
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
that was located between
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
and the Leeward Islands—the same trough which contributed to the development of Hurricane Ophelia. As a result of the low wind shear, convection redeveloped and organized along the wave axis. Convective banding formed around a broad surface low. It is estimated that the system developed into a tropical depression at 1800 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on September 5. At the time it was located approximately to the south-southwest of Bermuda. Upon being designated, Tropical Depression Fifteen developed deep convection close to, and to the east of, the center of circulation. At the same time, banding features became better organized. Later on September 5, the overall cloud pattern improved while thunderstorm activity condensed and deepened within the increasingly well-defined circulation. Just six hours after being designated as a tropical depression, the cyclone intensified into a tropical storm; it was given the name ''Nate'' by the
National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the IERS Reference Meridian, Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian ...
. Over the following two days, Nate drifted slowly northeastward towards Bermuda. Within the early hours of September 6, Nate became quasi-stationary under a weak steering pattern between Hurricane Maria and a disturbance over
The Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...
. Satellite imagery indicated that the cloud pattern continued to organize with excellent
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
surrounding the storm. Late on September 6 a developing banding eye feature became evident. Tropical Storm Nate strengthened further and became a hurricane at 1200 UTC on September 7, as it began to turn away from Bermuda. Some models indicated that Nate could have been either absorbed by or
merged Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
with the larger Hurricane Maria, but the
National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the IERS Reference Meridian, Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian ...
(NHC) forecast that Nate would survive as a separate system, which it did. The large low to the northeast of The Bahamas gradually opened into a broad trough as a shortwave trough approached from the northwest. The larger trough slowly became elongated in a northeast–southwest manner late on September 7. At the same time, the shortwave trough moved southward along the west side of the other trough. The increasing southwesterly flow along the southeast side of the broad trough caused Nate to accelerate northeastward. Nate reached its peak intensity of 90 mph (145 km/h) late on September 8 as it passed 120 miles (205 km) southeast of Bermuda, while its strongest winds remained well offshore. While at peak intensity, the storm maintained a well-organized and "impressive" convective pattern. Soon after the storm peaked in strength, increasing wind shear and dry air caused Nate to weaken back into a tropical storm later on September 9. Satellite imagery showed that the cloud pattern began to rapidly deteriorate. The hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm at 1800 UTC on September 9 and continued to weaken as wind shear increased in association with an approaching trough and a related
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
. By late on September 9, all of the already limited convective activity was confined to the eastern semicircle, leaving the low-level center exposed. The storm was reduced to a swirl of low-level clouds just hours later. Nate became extratropical the next day before becoming absorbed by a larger system by 0000 UTC on September 13, to the north-northeast of the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
.


Impact, records, and naming

A
tropical storm watch Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local pop ...
was issued for
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
early on September 7, and later that day a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch superseded it. However, the storm did not reach the island, so the warnings were canceled as the storm moved away September 8. Four cruise ships left the island ahead of schedule, and flights were canceled in anticipation of Nate. The outer bands of Nate brushed Bermuda with sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and widespread showers. Gusts were higher, peaking at roughly 50 mph (80 km/h). Less than 1 inch (25 mm) of rain was recorded at
Bermuda International Airport L.F. Wade International Airport , formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving the British Overseas Territories, British overseas territory of Bermuda in the north Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. Ge ...
. Damage in Bermuda was minimal. Two ships reported tropical storm-force winds in association with the storm: the ''Maersk New Orleans'', to the north of the storm's center, and a ship with the call sign WCZ858 to the east-southeast. Rip currents from Nate and the more distant
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
killed one and injured another in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
; several others were caught in rip currents, though they were able to escape. In the Carolinas, Nate also contributed to heightened seas, though this time in combination with Hurricane Ophelia and persistent unrelated northeasterly winds. A buoy just offshore Cape Fear recorded waves up to . Tropical energy from the remnants of Nate and Maria merged to form a broad storm system that would track toward parts of Europe. The mid-latitude cyclone produced a day of heavy rains across the
Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...
that included a 24-hour precipitation total of on the
Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...
. As it continued north, the storm also dropped torrential rainfall over
Western Norway Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...
. The region suffered extensive flooding and mudslides, including one that killed one person and injured nine more. Although the remnants of Nate and Maria avoided
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, they broke a streak of above-average temperatures in the region, filtering down much cooler Arctic air. In places, this led to the first frost of the winter season. Temperatures down to were recorded following the influx of colder air, with readings below freezing as far south as
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
. Four
Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
ships headed to the
Gulf Coast of the United States The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states th ...
, carrying relief supplies to help in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
, were slowed down trying to avoid Hurricanes Nate and
Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...
. The convoy included a destroyer, two
frigates A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
, and an icebreaker, and developed a plan to travel between the two hurricanes to minimize damage to their cargo. Anticipating rough seas and gusty winds even with the altered course, crews secured onboard supplies which included generators, chainsaws, diapers, and cots. The genesis of Tropical Storm Nate continued the unprecedented levels of tropical activity during the 2005 hurricane season; when it developed on September 5, it was the earliest in any season that the fourteenth named tropical cyclone formed, surpassing the previous record held by an unnamed storm during the 1936 season. This record was later broken in 2020 when Tropical Storm Nana formed on September 1, four days earlier.


See also

* Other tropical cyclones named Nate * List of Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes *
List of Bermuda hurricanes The British Overseas Territory of Bermuda has a long history of encounters with Atlantic tropical cyclones, many of which inflicted significant damage and influenced the territory's development. A small archipelago comprising about 138 islands ...
*
List of New Jersey hurricanes There have been 115 hurricanes or tropical storms that affected the U.S. state of New Jersey. Due to its location, few hurricanes have hit the state directly, though numerous hurricanes have passed near or through New Jersey in its history. Abo ...


References


External links


NHC's archive on Hurricane Nate

NHC's Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Nate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nate (2005) 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes Hurricanes in Bermuda Hurricanes in New Jersey
Nate Nate or NATE may refer to: People and fictional characters *Nate (given name) *A nickname for Nathanael *A nickname for Nathaniel Organizations *National Association for the Teaching of English, the UK subject teacher association for all aspects ...