Hurricane Lorenzo (2019)
Hurricane Lorenzo, also known as Storm Lorenzo for Ireland and the United Kingdom while extratropical, was the easternmost Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.[1] Lorenzo was the twelfth named storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurricane and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm formed from a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on 22 September, growing larger in size over the course of its development.[2] It strengthened into a hurricane on 25 September, and rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane the following day before weakening due to an eyewall replacement cycle. After completing the cycle, Lorenzo rapidly restrengthened, peaking at Category 5 intensity on 29 September with 1-minute sustained winds of 160 mph.[2] Steady weakening followed as the storm moved through unfavorable atmospheric conditions. Accelerating northeastward, Lorenzo skirted the western Azores on 2 October, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The extratropical cyclone moved quickly towards Ireland and the United Kingdom and became the first named storm of the 2019–20 European windstorm season, before eventually dissipating on 7 October.
Not to be confused with Hurricane Lorena (2019).Meteorological history
23 September 2019
2 October 2019
7 October 2019
160 mph (260 km/h)
19 direct, 1 indirect (20 total)
$367 million (2019 USD)
Through late September and early October, large swells were generated by the hurricane's massive wind field, impacting much of the Atlantic basin. The French ship Bourbon Rhode capsized amid the violent seas on 27 September; among its 14 crew members, three were rescued, four drowned, and the remaining seven are presumed dead. Four people drowned in rip currents along the coast of North Carolina, and two people were found dead after being swept away by large waves along the coast of New York. Dangerous sea conditions also spread to Bermuda and as far south as the Caribbean coasts of South America. On 2 October, Lorenzo passed near the western Azores, briefly bringing strong winds to much of the archipelago. Flores and Corvo endured the worst of these winds, with a maximum gust of 163 km/h (101 mph) recorded on the latter island. The extratropical remnants of Lorenzo then affected Ireland and the United Kingdom on 3 and 4 October, bringing gusty winds and heavy rains. Total damage from the storm was estimated at US$367 million, and 20 fatalities resulted from it.[3]