Preliminary Report
Tropical Storm Ernesto
01 - 03 September 2000

2000 PRELIMINARY REPORTS

Hurricane Alberto (3)
Tropical Storm Beryl (TS)
Tropical Storm Chris (TS)
Hurricane Debby (1)
Tropical Storm Ernesto (TS)
Hurricane Florence (1)
Hurricane Gordon (1)
Tropical Storm Helene (TS)
Hurricane Isaac (4)
Hurricane Joyce (1)
Hurricane Keith (4)
Tropical Storm Leslie (TS)
Hurricane Michael (2)
Tropical Storm Nadine (TS)

Ernesto was a minimal tropical storm that moved across the tropical Atlantic Ocean for a few days without affecting land.

 

a. Synoptic History

Ernesto formed from a tropical wave that moved from Africa to the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean on 28 August. Moving west-northwestward, the wave showed signs of a weak low-level circulation on satellite imagery as early as the 29th, while located a few hundred nautical miles south of the Cape Verde Islands. By 1 September, when the wave was midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles, there was sufficient convection and evidence of a low-level circulation to identify the system as the eighth tropical depression of the season.

The system moved toward the west-northwest at 14 to 17 mph from the 1st to the 3rd, under the influence of a westward building subtropical ridge to its north. It became a 40-mph tropical storm, even though rather strong southerly vertical wind shear was evident. This shear was the result of an upper low to the northwest of the storm. This upper low retreated westward as the storm advanced and continued to produce strong shear that prevented further strengthening and caused Ernesto to lose its low-level circulation on the 3rd while centered about 250 nautical miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

The remnant clouds moved northward and merged with a frontal cloud system in the north Atlantic over the next several days.

b. Meteorological Statistics

Satellite data was the only source of position or intensity information to track this storm, except for a few wind reports from drifting data buoys. The classification of Ernesto as a tropical storm is somewhat uncertain, as QUIKSCAT surface wind estimates on the 2nd indicated an open wave rather than a closed circulation. This was contradicted by visible satellite imagery that showed a tiny swirl of clouds near the deep convection. Since the forward motion was near 17 mph, it may very well be that there was no closed circulation. However, the data are inconclusive.

c. Casualty and Damage Statistics

There were no reports of death or damage.