Bazaar
Hurricane (and Super Typhoon) Genevieve (RECAP) | The Weather Channel
Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest Hurricane News

Hurricane (and Super Typhoon) Genevieve (RECAP)

Former Super Typhoon Genevieve finally fizzled over open water in the western North Pacific Ocean, some 4,000 miles from where it first developed.

The U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final advisory shortly after 3 p.m. EDT Monday, August 11 downgrading Genevieve to a tropical depression just over 1,000 miles north of Wake Island. 

Genevieve, which originated as a lowly tropical storm in the Eastern Pacific basin over two weeks ago and doddered along for days, rapidly intensified Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 after crossing the International Dateline and became the fourth super typhoon of 2014 when its wind speeds topped 150 mph.

(MORE: When Hurricanes Become Typhoons)

Genevieve became the strongest typhoon of 2014 by wind speed in the Western Pacific, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, with 10-minute average winds peaking at 110 knots (125 mph) Aug. 7-8.

Using JTWC's analyses, which use a one-minute average wind speed, Genevieve tied with Super Typhoon Halong, which peaked at 160 mph on August 3.

Genevieve, officially the sixth typhoon of 2014, was also the sixth hurricane of 2014 - including the fourth major hurricane in the Pacific Ocean this year.

Genevieve first formed as a tropical storm in the Eastern Pacific basin on July 25, 2014, about 1,500 miles southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii. It bypassed the numbered depression stage many tropical cyclones start out with, but it fizzled twice before its third and longest unbroken run as a tropical cyclone.

Phase 1: July 25-27

Genevieve's winds quickly peaked at 45 mph shortly after forming. It weakened to a depression on July 26 and became a post-tropical low on July 27, about 900 miles east-southeast of the Big Island.

Phase 2: July 29-31

However, on July 29, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu observed a strengthening trend and re-issued advisories for Tropical Depression Genevieve. Genevieve continued to move west through the central Pacific ocean over the next few days, all the while remaining several hundred miles southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.

On July 31, Genevieve weakened yet again into a post-tropical cyclone.

Phase 3: Since August 2

The remnants of Genevieve became better organized and redeveloped into a tropical depression once again on August 2 about 665 miles south-southeast of Honolulu. 

After spending three days spinning westward as a tropical depression, Genevieve was upgraded to a tropical storm on Tuesday, August 5. 

Genevieve's winds increased to an estimated 75 mph as of 5 a.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (11 a.m. EDT) Wednesday, Aug. 6, earning it the hurricane designation just over 1,000 miles south of Midway Island.

It continued to strengthen and by 5 p.m. HST Wednesday (12 hours later), it became a major Category 4 hurricane packing wind speeds of 135 mph.

Genevieve crossed the International Dateline early on Thursday, Aug. 7, becoming a typhoon. JTWC upgraded it to a super typhoon only a few hours later as its winds reached the required 150-mph threshold. It lost the super typhoon designation Aug. 8 and started to curve northwestward toward a region of colder water north of the tropics.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Hurricanes From Space

Hurricane Igor is featured in this Sept. 14, 2010, image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member on the International Space Station. (NASA)
1/69
Hurricane Igor is featured in this Sept. 14, 2010, image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member on the International Space Station. (NASA)
Advertisement
Hidden Weather Icon Masks
Hidden Weather Icon Symbols