Preliminary Report
Hurricane Humberto
22 August - 01 September 1995

1995 PRELIMINARY REPORTS

Hurricane Allison (1)
Tropical Storm Barry (TS)
Tropical Storm Chantal (TS)
Tropical Storm Dean (TS)
Hurricane Erin (2)
Hurricane Felix (4)
Tropical Storm Gabrielle (TS)
Hurricane Humberto (2)
Hurricane Iris (2)
Tropical Storm Jerry (TS)
Tropical Storm Karen (TS)
Hurricane Luis (4)
Hurricane Marilyn (3)
Hurricane Noel (1)
Hurricane Opal (4)
Tropical Storm Pablo (TS)
Hurricane Roxanne (3)
Tropical Storm Sebastien (TS)
Hurricane Tanya (1)

Humberto coexisted with four other tropical cyclones (Iris, Karen, Jerry and Luis) in the Atlantic basin. The hurricane traveled several days through the open Atlantic without hitting land.

 

a. Synoptic History

Hurricane Humberto developed from one of the several strong tropical waves that moved off the coast of Africa in August of 1995. In fact, Dakar, Senegal reported 58 mph winds at 500 mb when the axis of the wave crossed that station on 19 August. Humberto was preceded by a strong tropical wave which eventually became Iris and followed by another strong wave which triggered Karen.

Satellite images and surface reports indicated a broad cyclonic rotation associated with this weather system from the time it moved off the west coast of Africa. However, the convection was disorganized and displaced to the southwest of the circulation center due to the prevailing northeasterly shear. Once the system moved westward over warmer waters and into an area of lighter shear, it developed rapidly. A post-analysis of satellite images suggests that it became tropical depression at 0000 UTC 22 August and reached tropical storm status six hours later. Under an upper-level environment very favorable for development, Humberto became a hurricane at 0600 UTC 23 August.

Humberto's motion was rapidly influenced by a middle-level trough over the central Atlantic and turned northward and northeastward over open waters. Humberto maintained hurricane status until the 31st when it weakened to a tropical storm. It was rapidly absorbed by an extratropical low early on the 1st of September.

Just before Humberto began the northwestward turn, it reached its estimated peak intensity of 109 mph and a minimum pressure of 968 mb. This occurred at 1800 UTC 24 August when intensity estimates from the National Hurricane Center and the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) reached 5.5 and 5.0 on the Dvorak scale. Thereafter, the hurricane weakened some, primarily due to interference with the outflow produced by Iris. Once Humberto moved away from Iris, it reintensified and turned northeastward ahead of the extratropical cyclone which eventually absorbed it.

b. Meteorological Statistics

The vessel DBRUK4 was under the influence of Humberto for about 48 hours and experienced tropical storm force winds throughout that period. There was a report from that vessel of 69-mph winds from the southeast and a pressure of 1005 mb at 1800 UTC 30 August. At that time, the ship was about 20 nautical miles north of the center of the hurricane.

c. Casualty and Damage Statistics

There were no reports of injuries, deaths or damage associated with Humberto.