Preliminary Report
Hurricane Charley
21 - 29 September 1992

1992 PRELIMINARY REPORTS

Hurricane Andrew (5)
Hurricane Bonnie (2)
Hurricane Charley (2)
Tropical Storm Danielle (TS)
Tropical Storm Earl (TS)
Hurricane Frances (1)

a. Synoptic History

METEOSAT imagery showed that the cloudiness and showers became concentrated in an area centered about 550 nautical miles south of the Azores early on 20 September. Animation of the satellite imagery suggested a mid- to upper-level cyclonic circulation interacting with the northern portion of a tropical wave. By midday on the 20th, an inverted trough was analyzed in this vicinity on the NHC surface analysis. Visible imagery showed a well-defined low-level circulation on 21 September, and satellite classifications were initiated on this day. The system became Tropical Depression Five at 1800 UTC on 21 September about 550 nautical miles southwest of the Azores. The depression began moving toward the northwest at 6 to 12 mph.

Satellite imagery showed increased convective banding on 22 September, and the system became Tropical Storm Charley at 1200 UTC on this day. The storm moved generally toward the north for the next couple of days, steered in part by the flow around the slowly-moving Hurricane Bonnie located about 1000 nautical miles to the northwest. An eye appeared in the satellite pictures, and charley became a hurricane at 1200 UTC on 23 September. Analysis of satellite imagery suggests that the maximum sustained winds were 109 mph and minimum central pressure was 965 mb near 1800 UTC on 24 September.

Charley began drifted in a general eastward direction by 25 September in response to the slowly-changing deep-layer-mean flow. On 26 September, Charley began moving toward the east-northeast with increasing forward speed over progressively cooler water. Charley was downgraded to a tropical storm at 0000 UTC on 27 September, while centered just southwest of the Azores. The storm then accelerated toward the northeast, and the center passed over the island of Terceira near 1000 UTC on the 27th. Lajes AFB reported a minimum pressure of 982.4 mb with sustained wind of 53 mph and gusts to 82 mph.

The storm gradually lost tropical cyclone charactersitics as it moved over cooler water, and became an extratropical cyclone at 1800 UTC on the 27th. The acceleration toward the northeast continued, until the system was absorbed by a larger extratropical low centered to the northwest of the British Isles near 0600 UTC on 29 September.

b. Meteorological Statistics

c. Casualty and Damage Statistics

The NHC has not received reports of casualties or damage related to Charley.