List of West Africa hurricanes
Encyclopedia
This list of West Africa hurricanes includes tropical cyclone
s which originated in the Atlantic and directly or indirectly affected the west coast of Africa
or its surrounding islands, or both. Atlantic hurricanes seldom directly affect Western Africa, the Cape Verde Islands, or the Canary Islands
, since westerly winds carry the storms away from land, and most Atlantic storms that move off the African coast tend to be weak.
, there are three tropical cyclone monitoring stations in Dakar, Senegal, Bamako, Mali and Niamey, Niger
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s which originated in the Atlantic and directly or indirectly affected the west coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
or its surrounding islands, or both. Atlantic hurricanes seldom directly affect Western Africa, the Cape Verde Islands, or the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, since westerly winds carry the storms away from land, and most Atlantic storms that move off the African coast tend to be weak.
List of tropical cyclones
This is a list of tropical cyclones that have either made direct landfall in Western Africa and its surrounding islands or have come close to making landfall.Before 1950
- August 30, 1853: a major hurricane bypasses the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical storm.
- August 13, 1873: The Nova Scotia Hurricane of 1873 formed close to the Cape Verde Islands a tropical storm.
- September 12, 1889: A tropical storm forms close to the Cape Verde Islands before moving northeastward.
- August 17, 1891: A tropical storm forms close to the Cape Verde Islands before moving northeastward and becoming a category 1 hurricane.
- September 13, 1892: A tropical storm formed on September 12 and moved westward where it passed though the Cape Verde Islands as a Category 1 hurricane before entering the open Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
as a Category 2 storm. There was no reports of damage or fatalities from the hurricane. - August 16, 1893: Before becoming a major hurricane during the active 1893 Atlantic hurricane season1893 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1893 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1893. The 1893 season was fairly active, with 12 tropical storms forming, 10 of which became hurricanes. Of those, 5 became major hurricanes...
, the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane1893 Sea Islands HurricaneOn August 27, 1893 a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Islands Hurricane struck the United States near Savannah, Georgia. It was one of two deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season; the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, mostly from storm surge...
formed on August 15 northeast of the Cape Verde Islands as a weak tropical storm. The following day, the storm passed through the islands still a weak tropical storm before continuing westward across the Atlantic before eventually becoming a hurricane on August 19 and a major hurricane on August 26. Despite passing though the Cape Verde's as a tropical storm, there were no reports of damage or fatalities. - August 31, 1897: A tropical storm formed extremely close to the Cape Verde Islands on August 31. The storm moved westward where it reached hurricane status before recurving northeastward out over the open Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
as a Category 2 hurricane. - September 10, 1900: A tropical storm formed on September 8, 1900 at 10°N-18.5°W and moved northwestward. The storm rapidly gained strength as it reached hurricane on September 9. The hurricane continued moving northwestward as it bypassed the Cape Verde Islands to the west at Category 1 strength. The storm later reached Category 2 status after passing the islands. Despite its close proximity to the islands, its unclear if any watches or warnings were issued nor did any reports of damage of fatalities were reported from the storm.
- August 29, 1901: A tropical depression formed on August 29 and moved westward where it became a tropical storm. The storm brushed the Cape Verde's before continuing on westward and becoming a hurricane. The storm caused no damage on the islands.
- August 25, 1906: A tropical storm brushes the Cape Verde Islands as 40 mph (64 km/h) tropical storm causing no damage. Days later, the storm strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane.
- August 26, 1913: A tropical depression formed on August 26 southeast of the Cape Verde Islands and became a tropical storm on August 27 while passing south of the islands. Its effects on the Cape Verde Islands from the storm is unknown.
- September 2, 1927 : A weak tropical storm passes though the Cape Verde Islands before becoming a category 2 hurricane. There was no recorded damage after the storms passing through the islands.
- September 6, 1928: The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane passes though the Cape Verde Islands as a weak tropical storm.
- September 10, 1938: Before becoming a hurricane, the 1938 New England Hurricane passed through the Cape Verdes as a 40 mph (64 km/h) tropical storm.
- September 5, 1947: The Fort Lauderdale Hurricane1947 Fort Lauderdale HurricaneThe Fort Lauderdale Hurricane was an intense Category 5 hurricane that affected the Bahamas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi in September of the 1947 Atlantic hurricane season...
brushed the Cape Verde Islands as a Category 1 hurricane at 0000 UTC. There were no reports of damage or injuries from the hurricane. - September 5, 1948: A mid season hurricane brushed the Cape Verde Islands as a Category 1 storm. There were no reports of damage or injuries from that storm.
1950-1979
- September 2, 1951: Hurricane Fox passed well south of the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression.
- August 19, 1952: Hurricane Able1952 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1952 Atlantic hurricane season was the most recent season in which all named storms attained hurricane status, although it was the least active since 1946. The season officially started on June 15; however, a pre-season unnamed storm formed on Groundhog Day, becoming the only storm on...
struck the islands as a tropical depression. - August 28, 1953: Hurricane Carol1953 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1953 Atlantic hurricane season was the first time an organized list of female names was used to name Atlantic storms. It officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15, although activity occurred both before and after the season's limits...
passed though the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. - September 3, 1957: While transitioning to a tropical storm, Hurricane Carrie passed south of the Cape Verde Islands causing no damage.
- August 8, 1958: Tropical Storm Becky1958 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1958 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1958, and lasted until November 15, 1958. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
passed through the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. There were no reports of damage. - September 6, 1961: Hurricane Debbie1961 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1961 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1961, and lasted until November 15, 1961. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season had seven major hurricanes, the second highest number on...
rapidly reached hurricane strength west of the Cape Verde Islands. - August 27, 1962: Tropical Storm Becky1962 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1962 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active since 1939, with only five named storms. Although the season officially began on June 15, the first storm did not form until August 26. Hurricane Alma brushed the outer banks before becoming extratropical southeast of New England,...
bypassed the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. - September 5, 1964: Tropical Storm Florence1964 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1964 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1964, and lasted until November 15, 1964. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
brushed the Cape Verde Islands while at tropical depression strength. The storm caused no known damage. - September 16, 1965: Hurricane Carol1965 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1965 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1965, and lasted until November 30, 1965. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
passed south of the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. - August 21, 1966: Hurricane Faith passed south of the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression.
- September 5, 1967: Hurricane Chloe1967 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1967 Atlantic hurricane season was the first year in which the National Hurricane Center was in operation. The season began on June 1, which was the date when the NHC activated radar stations across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico...
passed through the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. - October 5, 1967: Tropical Storm Ginger1967 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1967 Atlantic hurricane season was the first year in which the National Hurricane Center was in operation. The season began on June 1, which was the date when the NHC activated radar stations across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico...
formed east of the Cape Verde Islands on October 5. The storm reached a peak intensity of 50 mph before dissipating two days later. Ginger's formation was the farthest east on record for an Atlantic tropical cycloneTropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
. - September 12, 1968: Tropical Storm Edna1968 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1968 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1968, and lasted until November 30, 1968. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
brushed the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. - August 25, 1973: Tropical Storm Christine1973 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1973 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season to use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, a scale developed in 1971 by Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson used for rating the intensity of tropical cyclones. The season produced 24 tropical and subtropical cyclones, of which only 8 reached...
formed over western Africa at 10°N-15°W as a tropical depression. - September 15, 1973: Hurricane Ellen1973 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1973 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season to use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, a scale developed in 1971 by Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson used for rating the intensity of tropical cyclones. The season produced 24 tropical and subtropical cyclones, of which only 8 reached...
brushed the Cape Verde Islands as a 45 mph (72 km/h) tropical storm. - September 4, 1979: Hurricane Gloria1979 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1979 Atlantic hurricane season was the first in which the Atlantic hurricane naming list included both male and female names. It officially began on June 1 and lasted until November 30, and there was tropical cyclone activity in every month. The dates conventionally delimit the period of each...
brushed the northern Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression.
1980-1999
- September 4, 1980: Hurricane Earl1980 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1980 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1980, and lasted until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly active, with eleven storms forming, of which nine reached...
brushed the northern Cape Verde Islands hours before reaching tropical storm strength. - September 7, 1980: Hurricane Frances1980 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1980 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1980, and lasted until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly active, with eleven storms forming, of which nine reached...
passed south of the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical storm.
- August 29, 1982: Tropical Storm Beryl of 1982 passed south of the Cape Verde Islands, killing 3 people and injuring 112 people.
- September 16, 1984: Tropical Storm Fran1984 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1984 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1984, and lasted until November 30, 1984. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1984 season was an active one in terms of named storms, but most of them...
bypassed the Cape Verde Islands to the south before becoming a tropical storm. The storm killed 31 people, mainly from landslides and flooding. - August 18, 1987: Tropical Storm Bret1987 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1987 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average hurricane season that was limited by an ongoing El Niño. The season officially began on June 1, 1987, and lasted until November 30, 1987, although activity began on May 25 when a tropical depression developed in the east central...
bypassed the Cape Verde Islands to the south before reaching tropical storm strength on the same day. There were no reports of damage. - September 8, 1988: Tropical Storm Thirteen1988 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1988 Atlantic hurricane season was a moderately active season that proved costly and deadly, with 15 tropical cyclones directly affecting land. The season officially began on June 1, 1988, and lasted until November 30, 1988, although activity began on May 30 when a tropical...
formed extremely close to western AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
on September 6 where it moved slightly northwestward and dissipated. It was not named because of its extreme location at the time, and it was originally thought to be a tropical depression. However, post storm analysis revealed that the system had maintained tropical storm strength for at least 48 hours. The storm produced heavy rain but caused no reported damage. - September 18, 1989: Before reaching hurricane status, Hurricane Erin1989 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1989 Atlantic hurricane season was an active season that produced fifteen tropical cyclones, eleven named storms, seven hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. The season was officially designated from June 1, 1989, to November 30, 1989, dates which conventionally...
passed though the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression, causing no damage. - September 21, 1998: Hurricane Jeanne1998 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1998 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1998, and lasted until November 30, 1998. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin; however, the season extended through December 1 as Hurricane Nicole remained...
of 1998 passed south of the Cape Verde Islands as a Category 1 hurricane. Because of Jeanne's rapid formation, forecasters predicted that the storm will bring tropical storm conditions to the Cape Verde Islands. However, the storms center stayed off shore and there were no reports of damage. - August 19, 1999: Hurricane Cindy1999 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1999 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1999, and lasted until November 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
passed close to the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. There were no reports of damage.
2000-present
- August 4, 2000: The tropical wave that later became Hurricane AlbertoHurricane Alberto (2000)Hurricane Alberto was an Atlantic Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed on August 3, 2000 and became extratropical on August 23. Alberto was the first named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season....
dropped 1 inch (25 mm) of rain across Dakar, Senegal and produced winds of 40 mph off the West African coastline. - September 9, 2003: Tropical Depression Fourteen2003 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was an active Atlantic hurricane season with tropical activity before and after the official bounds of the season – the first such occurrence in 50 years. The season produced 21 tropical cyclones, of which 16 developed into named storms; seven...
brushed the Cape Verde Islands after reaching peak intensity of 35 mph (56 km/h). The depression produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the islands. - November 11, 2005: Tropical Storm DeltaTropical Storm Delta (2005)TropicalStorm Delta was a late-forming tropical storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season which struck the Canary Islands as a strong extratropical storm, causing significant damage and then crossed over Morocco before dissipating...
, after meandering eastward in the Atlantic for several days, struck the Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
shortly after becoming extratropical, and 70 mph (110 km/h) winds with 90 mph (152 km/h) gusts caused over $360 million dollars (2005 USD) in damage and seven deaths. The remnants of Delta then struck MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where no damage was reported. - August 21, 2006: Tropical Storm DebbyTropical Storm Debby (2006)Tropical Storm Debby was the fifth tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Debby formed just off the coast of Africa on August 21 from a tropical wave. After passing near the Cape Verde islands, Debby moved generally northwestward for much of its life, reaching a peak intensity of...
passed south of the Cape Verde Islands as a tropical depression. A tropical storm warning was issued for the Cape Verde Islands, but was discontinued when Debby turned further westward and away from the islands. - September 9, 2010: Tropical Storm Igor passed 30 miles to the south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, bringing tropical storm force winds to BravaBravaBrava may refer to:*Brava, Cape Verde, a volcanic island*Brava, Costa Rica, an island of Costa Rica *Vauxhall Brava, a pickup truck*Fiat Brava, a car*Barawa, a town in Somalia commonly known as Brava...
& FogoFogoFogo may refer to:* Fogo, Cape Verde** Mount Fogo* Fogo, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada** Fogo Aerodrome* Fogo, Scottish Borders, a village in Berwickshire, Scotland** Fogo Priory, a religious house of the above settlement...
.
Tropical cyclone watches and warnings
The Cape Verde Islands has only one tropical cyclone monitoring station in Sal. In Western AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, there are three tropical cyclone monitoring stations in Dakar, Senegal, Bamako, Mali and Niamey, Niger
Climatological statistics
At least 46 tropical cyclones have affect Western Africa and its surrounding islands since records began in 1851. The majority of the storms affect West Africa and Cape Verde islands during the months of August and September which are the active months of a typical Atlantic hurricane season.| Month | Number of recorded storms affecting West Africa |
|---|---|
| January | 0 |
| February | 0 |
| March | 0 |
| April | 0 |
| May | 0 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 19 |
| September | 25 |
| October | 1 |
| November | 1 |
| December | 0 |
Deadliest storms
The following is a list of Atlantic tropical storms that caused fatalities in West Africa and its surrounding islands.| Name | Year | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Beryl | 1982 | 3 |
| Fran 1984 Atlantic hurricane season The 1984 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1984, and lasted until November 30, 1984. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1984 season was an active one in terms of named storms, but most of them... |
1984 | 31 |
| Delta Tropical Storm Delta (2005) TropicalStorm Delta was a late-forming tropical storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season which struck the Canary Islands as a strong extratropical storm, causing significant damage and then crossed over Morocco before dissipating... |
2005 | 7 |
See also
- Tropical cycloneTropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of notable tropical cyclones