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Tropical Storm Zeta (2005)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Storms

   CAPTION: Tropical Storm Zeta

   Tropical storm ( SSHS)
   Tropical Storm Zeta in the open Atlantic Ocean on January 4.
   Tropical Storm Zeta in the open Atlantic Ocean on January 4.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Formed December 29, 2005
   Dissipated January 6, 2006
   Highest
   winds
   65  mph (100  km/h) (1-minute sustained)
   Lowest pressure 994  mbar ( hPa)
   Damage None reported
   Fatalities None reported
   Areas
   affected No land areas
   Part of the
   2005 Atlantic hurricane season

   Tropical Storm Zeta was a late-developing tropical storm over the
   central Atlantic which formed after the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
   had officially ended, and continued into January. It extended the
   record number of storms in a season to twenty-eight.

   Zeta developed late on December 29 and headed to the west. Throughout
   the storm's lifetime, the National Hurricane Centre continually
   predicted it would weaken rapidly. Like the previous tropical cyclone
   Hurricane Epsilon, Zeta defied these predictions. The storm reached its
   peak strength on January 2, 2006 before finally dissipating on January
   6. As Zeta never approached land there was no impact from the storm.

Storm history

   Storm path
   Enlarge
   Storm path

   Late on December 29, 2005, a tropical depression developed in the
   east-central Atlantic from a frontal trough and became a tropical storm
   early the next day. As this was more than four weeks after the official
   end of the season, the National Hurricane Centre didn't operationally
   notice the system until after it had already become a tropical storm.
   Initially the storm headed to the northwest but stalled late on
   December 31 before heading westwards, gradually strengthening to winds
   of 60 mph (95 km/h) as it did so. As with the previous storm, Hurricane
   Epsilon, the National Hurricane Centre continuously forecast that Zeta
   would weaken in response to high level shear but Zeta held onto its
   strength, like Epsilon had done.

   Tropical Storm Zeta weakened slightly on January 2, before intensifying
   further to its peak strength with 65 mph (100 km/h) winds. One of the
   models suggested that Zeta could strengthen further and become a
   hurricane but this did not occur. Tropical Storm Zeta continued to defy
   forecasts of weakening and on January 4 increasing frustration led NHC
   forecaster, Dr. Lixion Avila to say that he had "run out of things to
   say".

   The effects of wind shear finally took their toll late on January 4,
   and Zeta's convection began to die down. This led to Tropical Storm
   Zeta weakening to a minimal tropical storm. The NHC continued to
   overestimate how quickly Zeta would dissipate and early on January 5
   they operationally downgraded Zeta to a depression, which was later
   confirmed to have been an error. Zeta continued to move
   west-northwestward, barely holding on to tropical storm status before
   becoming disorganized again. Zeta weakened into a tropical depression
   on January 6 and dissipated into a remnant later that day, finally
   ending the 2005 season. The remnant low retained its identity for a
   further day before it dissipated 660 miles (1060 km) southeast of
   Bermuda.

Impact

   Several of the crews that were taking part in the 2005 Atlantic Rowing
   Race were affected with heavy seas and strong adverse winds from
   Tropical Storm Zeta. The ship Liberty Star made several reports of
   strong winds from Tropical Storm Zeta, including one of 40 mph
   (65 km/h) winds early on December 31, when the ship was about 45 miles
   (75 km) north of the centre of the storm.

   Tropical Storm Zeta never threatened land so no coastal watches or
   warnings were issued. There was no reported damage or fatalities from
   Zeta.

Records

   When Tropical Storm Zeta formed at 0600 UTC on December 31, it became
   the second latest-forming tropical cyclone ever recorded in the
   Atlantic, forming about six hours earlier than Hurricane Alice did in
   1954. Zeta is only the second Atlantic tropical cyclone on record to
   have existed in two calendar years (after Alice). Tropical Storm Zeta
   also extended the record number of storms to form in the 2005 season to
   twenty-eight, seven more than the previous record held by the 1933
   season.

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