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Hurricane Iris (1995)

 
Hurricane Iris (1995)

 
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Hurricane Iris (1995)
 
 
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Hurricane Iris was the ninth named tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm characterized by a large low pressure system center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain....
 and fifth hurricane of an active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
1995 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. Iris was one of four storms to form nearly simultaneously in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 during the 1995 season. Forming on August 22, Iris slowly drifted across the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
 as a tropical storm before reaching hurricane strength. After peaking at Category 2
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms, and thereby become hurricanes....
 strength, Iris then accelerated and became extratropical
Extratropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as Synoptic scale meteorology Low pressure area weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical cyclone nor polar cyclone characteristics, and are connected with Surface weath...
 on September 7. Iris' remnants reached western Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 as a 75 mph (121 km/h) extratropical storm.

During its life cycle, Iris made two Fujiwhara interaction
Fujiwhara effect

The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclone vortex, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other....
s.






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Hurricane Iris was the ninth named tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm characterized by a large low pressure system center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain....
 and fifth hurricane of an active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
1995 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. Iris was one of four storms to form nearly simultaneously in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 during the 1995 season. Forming on August 22, Iris slowly drifted across the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
 as a tropical storm before reaching hurricane strength. After peaking at Category 2
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms, and thereby become hurricanes....
 strength, Iris then accelerated and became extratropical
Extratropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as Synoptic scale meteorology Low pressure area weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical cyclone nor polar cyclone characteristics, and are connected with Surface weath...
 on September 7. Iris' remnants reached western Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 as a 75 mph (121 km/h) extratropical storm.

During its life cycle, Iris made two Fujiwhara interaction
Fujiwhara effect

The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwara interaction is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclone vortex, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other....
s. The first was with Hurricane Humberto
1995 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
, while the second was with Tropical Storm Karen
1995 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
 which was later absorbed by Iris. Iris produced torrential rainfall across the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
 while at tropical storm strength. The rainfall caused isolated reports of landslides which killed five people.

Meteorological history

Iris began as a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
 on August 16. It moved westward with a disorganized center of circulation that persisted until August 19. On August 21, the tropical wave became Tropical Depression Ten, based on Dvorak technique
Dvorak technique

The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared Weather satellite....
 estimates. Six hours later, the depression became Tropical Storm Iris. Iris took a path to the northwest and quickly strengthened on August 23. On that day, a Hurricane Hunter
Hurricane Hunters

Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms....
 flight revealed that the winds were stronger than the satellite estimates. The data from the reconnaissance flight prompted Iris to be upgraded to hurricane status.
1995 Parade of Storms
Iris then moved to the west-southwest at . The change in course was due to the interaction with Hurricane Humberto which was away. On August 25, Iris then encountered an upper level low that was centered over Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
. The low caused increased wind shear which weakened Iris back to tropical storm strength. In addition, steering currents ahead of the storm caused Iris to move northwestward through the entire length of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
. As wind shear
Wind shear

Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind wind speed and wind direction over a relatively short distance in the Earth's atmosphere....
 decreased, Iris steadily strengthened as it moved on a northward path away from the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
 where it regained hurricane status on August 28. Two days later, Iris underwent a second Fujiwhara interaction with Tropical Storm Karen. The interaction caused Karen to be absorbed by Iris by September 3, resulting in Iris' storm path briefly becoming erratic. Iris reached a peak intensity of and a minimum barometric pressure of before transversing into a powerful extratropical storm
Extratropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as Synoptic scale meteorology Low pressure area weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical cyclone nor polar cyclone characteristics, and are connected with Surface weath...
. The extratropical remnants of Iris struck northwestern Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 on September 7.

Preparations, Impact and Naming

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center

The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of National Weather Service's Tropical Prediction Center responsible for tracking and predicting the likely behavior of tropical depressions, tropical storms and tropical cyclone....
 issued a tropical storm watch for the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
. The French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 government also issued advisories for Martinique
Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1,128 km?. It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia....
 and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island group or archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at , with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres . It is an overseas department of France....
. The following day, the tropical storm watches were changed to tropical storm warnings as Iris drifted closer. The British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands, the remaining islands constituting the United States Virgin Islands....
 were placed under a tropical storm watch which later changed to a warning on August 26.

In Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an island country in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American country of Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles....
, a feeder band from Iris brought winds from the south. The winds caused heavy seas and minor damage to small boats. A weather station east of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island group or archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at , with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres . It is an overseas department of France....
 recorded winds with gusts up to 62 mph (100 km/h). Winds ranging from were reported in the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
. In addition to the winds, Iris produced heavy rainfall across the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
. Rainfall up to were reported in Martinique
Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1,128 km?. It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia....
 while of rain fell in Antigua
Antigua

Antigua is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda....
. The heavy rains caused numerous landslides that killed four people in Martinique
Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1,128 km?. It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia....
 and one in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island group or archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at , with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres . It is an overseas department of France....
. Rainfall also caused flooding in Antigua
Antigua

Antigua is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda....
 and the rest of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
.

Because the damage was minimal, the name Iris was not retired in the spring of 1996, so it was reused again in 2001
2001 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was a fairly active Atlantic hurricane hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes....
. The name Iris has since been retired in the spring of 2002. Because of this, the name Iris has been used only three times since hurricane naming began in 1950.

See also

  • Tropical cyclone
    Tropical cyclone

    A tropical cyclone is a storm characterized by a large low pressure system center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain....