Hurricane Nadine (2012)

Hurricane Nadine

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Nadine at peak intensity on September 30
Formed	September 10, 2012
Dissipated	October 4, 2012
(Extratropical after October 3)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 90 mph (150 km/h)
Lowest pressure	978 mbar (hPa); 28.88 inHg
Fatalities	None
Damage	Minimal
Areas affected	Azores, United Kingdom
Part of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Nadine was the fourth longest-lived Atlantic hurricane on record. The fourteenth tropical cyclone and named storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Nadine developed from a tropical wave west of Cape Verde on September 10. By the following day, it had strengthened into Tropical Storm Nadine. After initially tracking northwestward, Nadine turned northward, well away from any landmass. Early on September 15, Nadine reached hurricane status as it was curving eastward. Thereafter, an increase in vertical wind shear weakened Nadine back to a tropical storm by September 16. On the following day, the storm began moving northeastward and threatened the Azores; by late on September 19, however, Nadine veered east-southeastward before reaching the islands. Nonetheless, the storm produced tropical storm force winds on a few islands. On September 21, the storm curved south-southeastward while located south of the Azores. Later that day, Nadine transitioned into a non-tropical low pressure area.

Due to favorable conditions, the remnants of Nadine regenerated into a tropical cyclone on September 24. After re-developing, the storm executed a cyclonic loop and meandered slowly across the eastern Atlantic. Eventually, Nadine turned south-southwestward, at which time it became nearly stationary. By September 28, the storm curved northwestward and re-strengthened into a hurricane. The tenacious cyclone intensified further and peaked with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) on September 30. By the following day, however, Nadine weakened back to a 65 mph (105 km/h) tropical storm, as conditions became increasingly unfavorable. Strong wind shear and decreasing sea surface temperatures significantly weakened the storm. Nadine transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 3, shortly before merging with an approaching cold front northeast of the Azores. The remnants of Nadine passed through the Azores on October 4 and again brought relatively strong winds to the islands.

A large tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on September 7. The system passed south of Cape Verde on September 8, with disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Around that time, the National Hurricane Center gave the system a medium chance of tropical cyclogenesis within 48 hours. A low pressure area developed along the axis of the tropical wave on September 9, which caused convective activity to increase further. The system was assessed with a high chance for tropical cyclone formation on September 10. Based on satellite intensity estimates, the National Hurricane Center declared the disturbance as Tropical Depression Fourteen at 1200 UTC on September 10, while located about 885 miles (1,425 km) west of Cape Verde.