1884 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1884 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1884. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. Due to inactivity of the season, there was no storms in June, July, early to mid-August and November. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable.

Season summary

The 1884 Atlantic hurricane season was a very inactive one with activity being confined from September 1 to October 17, well inside the hurricane season. Only four storms formed, all reaching hurricane strength and only one reaching major hurricane status (Category 3+). All of the storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean, except for Hurricane Four which formed in the Caribbean Sea on October 7. Not one storm existed in the Gulf of Mexico during the hurricane season. Only one storm did not affect land, which was Hurricane Two.

Storms

Hurricane One

A tropical cyclone existed in late August over the western Atlantic, but it was not until September 1 that it was confirmed to exist. It moved to the northeast, reaching a peak of winds before weakening. It hit Newfoundland on the 2nd as a strong tropical storm, and became extratropical the following day. The now extratropical storm moved and dissipated just short of Portugal.

This storm was upgraded from a tropical storm into a hurricane during the HURDAT Re-Analysis Project.

Hurricane Two

The second storm formed on September 3 and lasted until September 16. It formed over the tropical Atlantic and was a Cape Verde-type hurricane. Moving west-northwestward, it reached hurricane strength on the 5th. Land masses were spared when the storm curved northeastward, where it became a Category 3 hurricane. Unfavorable conditions weakened it, and it dissipated over the northern Atlantic ocean on the 16th.

Hurricane Three

The third storm of the season formed on September 10 off the coast of Florida. It moved northwestward, hitting the coast of Georgia the next day. It weakened over land, but did a U-Turn and restrengthened over the Atlantic Ocean. Moving southeastward, it reached favorable conditions, where, after looping, it became a hurricane on the 15th. The hurricane moved rapidly northeastward, passing Bermuda to the south and becoming extratropical on the 20th.

Hurricane Four

The fourth and final storm of the season began its life south of Jamaica on October 7. It moved north-northeastward, reaching hurricane strength on the 8th before hitting southeast Cuba on the 9th. After passing Cuba, it weakened to a tropical storm, but restrengthened over the Bahamas to a Category 2 hurricane. It stalled on the 13th, followed by a turn to the east where it dissipated on the 17th. Eight people drowned in Jamaica during the storm's development stages.

See also

• List of tropical cyclones
• List of Atlantic hurricane seasons

References

External links

• 1884 AHS at HURDAT
• 1884 Hurricane/Tropical Data for Atlantic