Comments on: Hurricane Otto

By: Eric Lund

Eric Lund — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 16:43:49 +0000

In order to be a hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone (and it would be in that order), it would have to form in the Central or Eastern Pacific (east of 180 degrees longitude), proceed into the Western Pacific, then cross the Malay Peninsula into the Bay of Bengal. I’m not aware of any tropical cyclone that has done the last; it would be rare in part because the peninsula is so far south (even further south than where Hurricane Otto is), though I would not claim it’s impossible.

I know of at least one storm, John, which formed in the Central Pacific as a hurricane, became a typhoon when it crossed the International Date Line, and became a hurricane again after crossing the International Date Line a second time after recurving. That’s the storm which holds the record for longest observed hurricane track. I doubt that a hurricane that did this could remain far enough south to cross the Malay Peninsula; recurvature before it reaches the Philippines/Taiwan/Japan is more likely.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 21:50:49 +0000

I am 99.9999 percent sure that has not ever happened.

By: RickA

RickA — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 20:44:43 +0000

Now I wonder if one storm has ever been all three types?

A cyclone, a hurricane and a typhoon (no particular order).

My googling couldn’t find the answer to this question.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:52:59 +0000

In the Eastern Pacific they are still called Hurricanes.

But yes, it is not that uncommon for an Atlantic tropical storm of some level to provide the seed for a Pacific named tropical storm. Happens about every five years.

Ten named storms have been crossovers, the most recent was Hermine, a tropical storm that was almost a hurricane, which made the odd move of going from Pacific to Atlantic. Almost all the rest have been Atlantic to Pacific. The last Atlantic to Pacific crossover was Hurricane Cesar (Atlantic) which turned into Hurricane Douglas in the Pacific. That was in the late 90s, and it was a killer storm, causing a lot of damage.

By: RickA

RickA — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:46:24 +0000

Never mind – I looked it up:

http://www.livescience.com/47247-how-hurricane-becomes-super-typhoon.html

It looks like this has happened before.

By: RickA

RickA — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:44:35 +0000

It is interesting that a hurricane could maybe turn into something in the Pacific.

Have other hurricanes turned into typhoons before? Or a cyclone?

Just wondering.

By: Bruce Jensen

Bruce Jensen — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:50:09 +0000

Interesting times. Surely, everyone will recall the Hurricane Season of 2005, the same year as such memorables as Katrina and Wilma, that had a very long duration (into 2006) and included at least category 1 storm from late November into early December (Epsilon). It was the longest lasting December hurricane on record.