Hurricane Sergio (2018)

Hurricane Sergio (2018)

Sergio became the eighth Category 4 hurricane in the East Pacific for 2018, breaking the old record of seven set in 2015. It was the twentieth named storm, eleventh hurricane, and ninth major hurricane of the season. The cyclone made landfall in western Baja California Sur and Sonora on October 13 as a tropical storm and tropical depression. No injuries or deaths were reported in association with the hurricane or its remnants.

About Hurricane Sergio (2018) in brief

Summary Hurricane Sergio (2018)Sergio became the eighth Category 4 hurricane in the East Pacific for 2018, breaking the old record of seven set in 2015. The twentieth named storm, eleventh hurricane, and ninth major hurricane of the season, Sergio originated from a system that was located over northwestern South America on September 24. The cyclone made landfall in western Baja California Sur and Sonora on October 13 as a tropical storm and tropical depression, respectively, causing over US$2 million1 in damage. Sergio’s remnants brought heavy rainfall to Arizona, resulting in the closure of its state fair. About US$548,000 in damage occurred throughout Texas as a result of the increased moisture. No injuries or deaths were reported in association with the hurricane or its remnants, and Sergio dissipated early on October 13. The National Hurricane Center forecasted that a low-pressure area would form a few hundred miles south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec in about two days. The system developed into Tropical Storm Sergio on September 29 at 12: 00 UTC, while approximately 385 mi south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Despite being located within a favorable environment of warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, Sergio only gradually intensified over the next couple of days, the system becoming a Category 1 hurricane on October 2. The storm then turned towards the northwest as it underwent rapid intensification and an eyewall replacement cycle, before peaking as a Category 3 major hurricane on October 4.

A far-away mid-latitude ridge caused Sergio to turn towards the southwest from October 5–6, before weakening to the far away Cabo San Lucas on October 7. Sergio made landfall as a Tropical Storm on the Baja California Peninsula, and later in northwestern Mexico as a  tropical depression before dissipating early on November 1. It is unclear whether Sergio arose from a tropical wave that departed from the west coast of Africa on September 13, but there is a possibility that it was part of a tropical system that formed in the Pacific Ocean on September 24-25. The National Hurricane Center monitored the disturbance for several days as it traveled west-southwestward, before it developed a well-defined eye surrounded by −85 °C clouds. Sergio then curved from the southwest to the northeast, weakening into a tropical cyclone on  October 9. The hurricane then began a period of rapid intensifying, reaching Category 3major hurricane status by 18:00 UTC. The next day, Sergio fell below major hurricane strength, falling below tropical storm strength. At the same time, the storm developed some annular characteristics, with a central pressure of 942mbar.