1883 Atlantic hurricane season

Last updated
1883 Atlantic hurricane season
1883 Atlantic hurricane season summary map.png
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedAugust 18, 1883
Last system dissipatedOctober 24, 1883
Strongest storm
NameTwo
  Maximum winds125 mph (205 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
  Lowest pressure948 mbar (hPa; 27.99 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total storms4
Hurricanes3
Major hurricanes
(Cat. 3+)
2
Total fatalities236
Total damageUnknown
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885

The 1883 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1883. This is the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. In the 1883 Atlantic season there was one tropical storm, one Category 1 hurricane, and two major hurricanes (Category 3+). However, in the absence of modern satellite monitoring and remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated. [1]

Contents

Season summary

The Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) [2] recognizes four tropical cyclones for the 1883 season. In 1883 there was one tropical storm, one Category 1 hurricane and two major hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. Due to the inactivity of the season, there were no storms in June, July or November. Both Hurricane One and Hurricane Two were active in the Western Atlantic throughout the second half of August. Although Hurricane One was the only storm of the year not to make a landfall, it did cause 80 deaths among seafarers off Newfoundland. Hurricane Three was a major hurricane that was first seen in the Lesser Antilles and travelled north to eventually dissipate over Virginia. It caused 106 deaths in the Bahamas and North Carolina. The last known cyclone was a tropical storm active in October between the Bahamas and the coast of North Carolina.

Timeline

Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale1883 Atlantic hurricane season

Systems

Hurricane One

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS)
1883 Atlantic hurricane 1 track.png  
DurationAugust 18 – August 27
Peak intensity90 mph (150 km/h) (1-min);
975  mbar  (hPa)

The Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) begins the track for this cyclone about 850 mi (1,370 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands on August 18, [3] one day before being encountered by the bark B. F. Watson. [4] :34 Initially a tropical storm, the system moved on a west-northwestward path that gradually became more northwestward. Late on August 21, the storm turned north-northwestward and intensified into a hurricane early the next day while situated southwest of Bermuda. The cyclone then turned northeastward on August 23 and continued to slowly strengthen. [3] Late on August 26, the ship Finchley observed a barometric pressure of 975 mbar (28.8 inHg), the lowest associated with the storm. [4] :35 Consequently, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project estimated in 2003 that the hurricane peaked with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). [5] However, the hurricane lost tropical characteristics and on August 27, it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about 775 mi (1,245 km) northeast of Newfoundland. The extratropical cyclone dissipated northwest of the British Isles on August 28. [3] [2]

The hurricane wreaked havoc on ships over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. According to a September 1 report in The New York Times , 100  dories were lost and a total of 80 deaths occurred, though The Times of London noted on September 6 that 30 vessels remained missing. The latter also declared that "immense damage has been done to shipping". [4] :35

Hurricane Two

Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS)
1883 Atlantic hurricane 2 track.png  
DurationAugust 24 – August 30
Peak intensity125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min);
≤948  mbar  (hPa)

On August 24, the bark N. Boynton encountered a hurricane to the northeast of the Leeward Islands, [4] :36 with the official track initiated about 400 mi (640 km) from Barbuda. This storm moved on a similar path to the previous, trekking west-northwestward and then northwestward, followed by a turn to the north on August 27. Intensification occurred during this time, and early the next day, the cyclone reached major hurricane status, becoming a Category 3 hurricane on the present-day Saffir–Simpson scale while passing west of Bermuda. [3] A brig known as Daphne observed a barometric pressure of 948 mbar (28.0 inHg) on August 29. [4] :37 Based on this, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project estimated that this storm attained peak winds of 125 mph (205 km/h). [5] The storm then turned northeastward and gradually weakened. Late on August 30, the system passed near Newfoundland as a Category 1 hurricane and soon transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The extratropical storm persisted until September 2, when it struck the British Isles at hurricane-equivalent intensity and lost its identity over East Anglia. [3]

The hurricane generated sustained winds up to 40 mph (64 km/h) on Bermuda. [6] In Nova Scotia, winds blew "with great violence" in Halifax, according to The New York Times. Two yachts and a number of other vessels became stranded or capsized. [4] :38 In early September, the extratropical remnants reached the British Isles as a powerful storm. [3] Abnormally high tides were reported in Ireland, flooding low-lying homes in the town of Wexford. At least one person died after the steamer Iris capsized at Inishtrahull island. [7] :16 Crops, especially grain, suffered extensive damage in southern Ireland, leading to concerns about the renewal of rent agitation. [8] In Great Britain, barometers fell to as low as 963 mbar (28.4 inHg) at Pembroke, Wales. [4] :40 Several vessels capsized, especially along the south coast of England, causing a numerous loss of life. In one instance, 12 out of 14 occupants of the G. J. Jones (or G I. Jones) drowned after the bark sank in Mount's Bay near Penzance. [9] Waves swept away nearly 0.5 mi (0.80 km) of the Portland Branch Railway. [10] However, the storm also caused some waterways to fall to abnormally low tides, interfering with boat traffic on the River Thames. [7] :17 The Royal Meteorological Society noted that the extratropical cyclone also impacted France, Germany, and Norway. [7] :11 In France, one ship at Bayonne and several others near Bordeaux capsized, "with loss of hands" in the vicinity of the latter according to The Times. [11]

Hurricane Three

Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS)
1883 Atlantic hurricane 3 track.png  
DurationSeptember 4 – September 13
Peak intensity125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min);
955  mbar  (hPa)

The Bahamas-North Carolina Hurricane of 1883

A major hurricane moved through the Lesser Antilles on September 4. It crossed Hispaniola, weakening to a minimal hurricane. It restrengthened as it passed the Bahamas, and struck North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane on the 11th. It dissipated over Virginia on September 13. [2] Across North Carolina trees were uprooted and fences, light buildings, telegraph and telephone lines blown down . Several vessels were wrecked off the North Carolina coast and flooding occurred along the Cape Fear River. [12] In Virginia the rains from this storm helped end a summer-long drought but any benefit was minimal, as the peanut crop had already failed from the lack of rain. At Nottoway, Virginia, heavy rain from the cyclone may have led to a train with 10 freight cars derailing. [13] Overall the hurricane caused 106 deaths in the Bahamas and North Carolina. [14]

Tropical Storm Four

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
1883 Atlantic hurricane 4 track.png  
DurationOctober 22 – October 24
Peak intensity60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min);
983  mbar  (hPa)

A tropical storm formed on October 22 over the Bahamas. It moved to the north, then turned to the northeast while off the North Carolina coastline. The storm peaked at 60 mph (97 km/h) on October 24 before becoming extratropical the same night. As an extratropical cyclone it strengthened to an 80 mph (130 km/h) storm before dissipating. [2]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1859 Atlantic hurricane season</span> Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean

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References

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  8. "Crops in Ireland Destroyed". The Daily Post. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 4, 1883. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
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  11. "The Storm". The Times. London, England. September 4, 1883. p. 4. Retrieved April 9, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
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