Hurricane Gordon was the first tropical cyclone since 1992 to affect the Azores while retaining tropical characteristics. The eighth tropical storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, Gordon formed on September 10 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It gradually matured into a hurricane as it tracked northward, reaching its peak intensity with winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) early on September 14 while located about 925 km (575 mi) southeast of Bermuda. After becoming nearly stationary, Gordon weakened to minimal hurricane status, although it re-intensified after accelerating to the east. It weakened again after moving over cooler waters, and passed through the Azores on September 20. Shortly thereafter, it became an extratropical cyclone and subsequently affected Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Hurricane Gordon

Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)

Hurricane Gordon at peak intensity on September 14

Formed

September 10, 2006

Dissipated

September 24, 2006

(Extratropical after September 20)

Highest winds

1-minute sustained: 120 mph (195 km/h)

Lowest pressure

955 mbar (hPa); 28.2 inHg

Fatalities

None

Damage

$3.8 million (USD)

Areas affected

Azores, Iberian Peninsula, British Isles

Part of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season

The only land area affected while Gordon was tropical – the Azores – sustained little damage, in spite of wind gusts' reaching hurricane force on Santa Maria Island. Impact was much more significant from the storm in its extratropical phase. In Spain, wind gusts reached 183 km/h (114 mph) along the northwest coast and left 100,000 people without power. Five people in the country sustained storm-related injuries. Further north, the storm brought a surge of tropical air to Ireland and the United Kingdom, contributing to record warm temperatures. In Northern Ireland, high winds left 120,000 people without power and caused one injury.

Meteorological history Edit

Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

On September 1, a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and quickly showed signs of organization. It possessed a low pressure area and some convection as the system moved generally westward.[1] The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) first pinpointed the system as an area for potential development late on September 2 while it was about 1,210 km (750 mi) west-southwest of Cape Verde.[2] However, an upper-level trough associated with the developing Hurricane Florence to its west increased wind shear across the region, which prevented significant tropical cyclone development over the next week.[1] However, on September 5, the NHC noted the potential for the storm system to organize into a tropical depression within the next several days,[3] but its close proximity to Florence continued to stall its strengthening.[4] By September 9, the trough moved far enough away from the system to allow wind shear to relent, signalling an increase in convective thunderstorm activity. Around 18:00 UTC that day, the system developed into a tropical depression about 870 km (540 mi) east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles.[1]

Upon developing, the depression, small in physical size, moved slowly west-northwestward. Initially, the NHC faced difficulties in forecasting the future of the system due to the potential for resumed strong wind shear, as well as uncertainty in its path of direction.[5] It gradually organized and intensified, and based on observations from the Hurricane Hunters, the NHC assessed the depression as a tropical storm late on September 11; upon doing so, they named it Gordon. As it strengthened, Gordon developed more substantial outflow and increasing banding features.[6] On September 12, the storm slowed and turned toward the north through a weakness in the subtropical ridge created by Florence. Wind shear decreased further,[1] and the storm's convection became more symmetric with an intermittent.