Hurricane Bud (2012)

Hurricane Bud

Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Bud near peak intensity on May 24
Formed	May 20, 2012
Dissipated	May 26, 2012
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 115 mph (185 km/h)
Lowest pressure	961 mbar (hPa); 28.38 inHg
Fatalities	None
Damage	Minimal
Areas affected	Western Mexico
Part of the 2012 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Bud was a rare May major hurricane that skirted areas of the western Mexican coast. The second tropical cyclone and named storm of the 2012 Pacific hurricane season, Bud developed slowly into a tropical depression from a low-pressure area, centered well south of Mexico on May 20. It moved generally west-northwestward and by the following day, strengthened into Tropical Storm Bud. Thereafter, further intensification was slow. By late on May 23, Bud reached winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). On the following day, however, rapid deepening commenced, with the storm becoming a hurricane on that day. Bud peaked as a 115 mph (185 km/h) Category 3 hurricane on May 25. Several hours after reaching that intensity, the storm began to quickly weaken as it moved near Western Mexico. Bud continued to weaken, eventually dissipating the next day.

Due to Hurricane Bud's rapid weakening offshore of Mexico, effects were mostly minimal. However, the hurricane still produced heavy rainfall and waves of up to 6 ft (1.8 m) in Melaque. Beach damage resulted from the rough seas. Strong gusts also uprooted trees across the coast, and rainfall washed out some roads. No deaths were associated with the hurricane's impacts.

The precursor to Hurricane Bud exited the West Africa coast on May 5 as a tropical wave. The wave slowly intensified as it moved towards the west as an area of thunderstorms, producing showers of the Windward Islands. On May 12, a low pressure system formed from the tropical wave just south of eastern Panama. Under favorable conditions, it slowly began to organize while east of Tropical Storm Aletta, and after a burst in convection on May 15, the National Hurricane Center began monitoring the system. By early on May 18, the system became nearly stationary while just offshore of Mexico. After wind shear caused it to become less organized later that day, the system began showing signs of development starting on May 19. Although it was re-organizing, the system initially lacked a well-defined surface circulation. On May 20, the system started to rapidly organize while tracking slowly west-northwestward. Later that day, the National Hurricane Center noted that "conditions appear favorable for a tropical depression to form tonight or Monday." It is estimated that Tropical Depression Two-E developed at 1800 UTC on May 20, while located about 525 miles (845 km) south of Acapulco, Guerrero. Although geostationary and microwave satellite imagery indicated moderate easterly wind shear, the National Hurricane Center predicted quick intensification into a hurricane.