Tropical Storm Grace (2009)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Tropical Storm Grace holds the record for being the farthest northeast forming
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 ...
in the
Atlantic basin The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
. The seventh named storm of the slightly below average
2009 Atlantic hurricane season The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average Atlantic hurricane season that was the first since 1997 Atlantic hurricane season, 1997 to feature less than 10 tropical storms. Overall, the season produced eleven tropical cyclones, nine T ...
, Grace formed from an
extratropical cyclone 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 ...
over 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 ...
on 4 October. It strengthened to attain peak
sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a certain distance from the center, known as the radius of maxi ...
s of 65 mph (100 km/h) and developed an eye-like feature, although cold
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 inhibited the development of thunderstorm activity near the center. The storm lost its tropical characteristics on 6 October, and the storm's remnants merged with a separate system near the British Isles on 7 October. Grace had only minor effects on land, although while it was passing through the Azores, islands close to the storm's center recorded winds of up to 44 mph (71 km/h) and moderate rainfall. Although not solely related to the cyclone, heavy rainfall in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
led to some street flooding. The remnants also impacted parts of
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, where rainfall approaching 2 in (51 mm) and tropical storm-force winds were recorded. However, no damage occurred.


Meteorological history

Tropical Storm Grace originated from a large
extratropical cyclone 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 ...
that formed along a cold front on 27 September, roughly 470  mi (755  km) east of
Cape Race, Newfoundland Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", mean ...
. Initially attached to an
occluded front In meteorology, an occluded front is a type of weather front formed during cyclogenesis. The classical and usual view of an occluded front is that it starts when a cold front overtakes a warm front near a cyclone, such that the warm air is sepa ...
, the low detached from the system and gradually acquired tropical characteristics. By 1 October, shower and thunderstorm activity began to develop near the center of the system as it tracked through the central Azores. However, the following day,
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 ...
began to decrease over the system, and 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) ceased monitoring it. Over the following two days, the system executed a counter-clockwise loop near the Azores. During the afternoon of 4 October, convection redeveloped around the center of the low and was classified as a tropical storm near
São Miguel Island São Miguel Island (; ), nicknamed "The Green Island" (), is the largest and most populous island in the Portugal, Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta D ...
. Although the storm was tropical at this time, the NHC did not issue advisories for several hours. The first advisory from the NHC was issued at 11:00 
AST AST, Ast, or ast may refer to: Science and technology * Attention schema theory, of consciousness or subjective awareness Computing * Abstract syntax tree, a finite, labeled, directed tree used in computer science * Anamorphic stretch transform, ...
on 4 October; at this time, the system was officially named Grace, the seventh named storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm featured relatively deep convection around an eye-like feature. Although Grace was over waters normally not warm enough for
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
, low
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 ...
allowed the convection to persist. A steady northeastward track was taken by the storm in response to a southerly flow over the northwestern Atlantic. The storm intensified slightly as it moved over decreasing
sea surface temperatures 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 ...
, with winds estimated at 65 mph (100 km/h) early on 5 October; operationally it was held at 70 mph (110 km/h), but was downgraded due to uncertainties in the storm's intensity as it was progressing over cold waters. A large
extratropical cyclone 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 ...
near Grace caused the storm to deteriorate in organization, with convection weakening and becoming asymmetric. By this time, the storm was over waters, likely inhibiting convective development. Shower and thunderstorm activity continued to diminish throughout the day on 5 October; however, Grace maintained tropical characteristics, namely a deep, warm core. Early on 6 October, the NHC issued their final advisory on Grace as it merged with a
frontal system A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For ins ...
over the northeastern Atlantic. Just prior to merging, the lowest pressure in relation to the storm was recorded at 986 mbar (hPa; 29.12 inHg). The extratropical remnants of Grace persisted for roughly 18 hours before dissipating over the
Celtic Sea The Celtic Sea is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the southern coast of Ireland bounded to the north by St George's Channel, Saint George's Channel; other limits include the Bristol Channel, the English Channel, and the Bay of Biscay, as wel ...
early on 7 October. However, the
United States Naval Research Laboratory The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Located in Washington, DC, it was founded in 1923 and conducts basic scientific research, appl ...
continued to monitor the system for several more hours until it moved over the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
. Although officially designated a tropical cyclone by the NHC,
Météo-France Météo-France is the official French meteorological administration, also offering services to Andorra and Monaco. It has the powers of the state and can exercise them in relation to meteorology. Météo-France is in charge of observing, study ...
, the
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
meteorological service, stated in their annual report to the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology an ...
that Grace should not have been classified a tropical system. In their report, they argued that although the storm presented deep convection, an eye-like feature, and winds above 60 mph (95 km/h), the overall development of Grace was more similar to that of a mid-latitude non-tropical cyclone. However, operationally, Météo-France considered Grace to be a
subtropical cyclone A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and extratropical cyclones. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclone ...
. They also criticized the NHC for warning on this system based on recent trends of the link between
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
and increased hurricane activity.


Impact and records

Upon being classified a tropical cyclone within the Azores, a few islands received minor rainfall and high winds. Gusts up to were recorded on
Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality (''concelho'') and executive capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67,2 ...
. While merging with the frontal system on 6 October, the storm's outer bands produced heavy rains and strong winds over parts of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, resulting in some street flooding. In higher elevations, wind gusts were estimated to have exceeded . Due to the storm's relatively rapid forward movement by the time it reached the United Kingdom, rainfall was limited. In Ireland, of precipitation fell in the city of
Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...
. Sustained winds in the city were recorded up to . Rainfall in the country peaked at in
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
. Near the coastline of
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, a buoy recorded sustained winds up to , equivalent to a minimal tropical storm. Late on 6 October, the remnants of Grace moved inland over Wales, bringing heavy rains and high winds to the region. Maximum rainfall in the United Kingdom reached in
Capel Curig Capel Curig (; meaning " Curig's Chapel") is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226, reducing slightly to 206 ...
. One ship, the ''Cap Castillo'' (call sign A8PI5), recorded sustained winds of on 5 October, while located about south of the storm's center. Moisture from the storm's remnants fueled another, more powerful cyclone that caused flooding in parts of Belgium after producing upwards of of rain. Operationally, Grace was not classified as a tropical storm until it reached latitude 41.2°N. However, a post-storm analysis concluded that Grace had actually become a tropical storm 12 hours earlier than initially estimated, placing its location of development further south, at 38.5°N. This marked the farthest northeast a tropical cyclone formed in the Atlantic basin, breaking the record set by Hurricane Vince in 2005. In its Tropical Cyclone Report on Grace, the National Hurricane Center reported that the formation of Grace was poorly forecast. The first mention of the precursor low on 1 October predicted that it would not develop into a tropical or subtropical cyclone. Over the following three days, the system was not mentioned in the NHC's tropical weather outlooks until just prior to Grace's classification. The lack of preceding outlooks was attributed to the storm's unusual location and the sparsity of data for storms in the region.


See also

* Tropical cyclones named Grace *
List of Azores hurricanes The Azores, an autonomous regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, has experienced the effects of at least 21 Atlantic hurricanes, or storms that were once tropical or subtropical cyclones. The most re ...
* Tropical cyclone effects in Europe * Hurricane Carrie – Another storm that affected the British Isles as an extratropical storm, in 1957 * Hurricane Vince *
Hurricane Ophelia (2017) Hurricane Ophelia (known as Storm Ophelia in Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the United Kingdom while Extratropical cyclone, extratropical) was regarded as the worst European windstorm, storm to affect Ireland in 50 years, and was also the eas ...
– Easternmost storm to attain Major hurricane status in the North Atlantic basin * Hurricane Pablo – Another system that underwent tropical transition at a high latitude, close to Europe.


References


External links


The National Hurricane Center's Advisory Archive for Tropical Storm Grace
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grace (2009) 2009 Atlantic hurricane season Atlantic tropical storms Hurricanes in the Azores Hurricanes in Europe
Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...