Hurricane Season

South Pacific Cyclone Season 2012

(Dive Travel Business News - December 30, 2011) -- While tropical cyclones in the South Pacific may occur throughout the year, the U.S. Department of State advises travelers that the South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season began on November 1 and ends April 30. Travelers to the region should monitor local weather reports and take other appropriate action as needed.

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Hurricane Rina Churns Towards Mexico's Caribbean

Hurricane Rina churns towards Cozumel, Cancun

(Dive Travel Business News - October 26, 2011) -- Mexico issued a hurricane watch along the Yucatan coast and readied 1,130 storm shelters in Quintana Roo, the state that includes Cancun and Cozumel. Authorities are evacuating fishing communities on Mexico’s resort-studded Caribbean coast and some tourists began to leave, as Hurricane Rina took aim at Cancun and the island of Cozumel on Wednesday.

Rina’s maximum sustained winds remained steady at about 110 mph (175 kph) early Wednesday, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, making it a Category 2 storm. Forecasters predict it will strengthen as it nears the Mexican coast Wednesday night before rolling over the island of Cozumel, a popular dive spot and cruise-ship port, then along the coast to Cancun.

State Tourism Director Juan Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez said there were about 83,000 tourists in the state, with about 45,000 of those on a stretch of coast south of Cancun that includes Tulum and Playa de Carmen, and almost 28,000 in Cancun. read more »

Pacific Typhoon Season

(Dive Travel Business News - July 5, 2011) -- Typhoons in East Asia and the West and Central Pacific regions north of the Equator may occur year-round however historically, the most active Pacific typhoon months are June through November, with peak months from August to October corresponding to Atlantic Hurricane Season. This basin features the most globally intense storms on record. The area just northeast of the Philippines is the most active place on Earth for tropical cyclones to exist. The most frequently impacted areas of the Philippines by tropical cyclones are northern Luzon and eastern Visayas where cyclone season peaks in September.

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"StormCheck" Live-aboard Guarantee During Hurricane Season.

(Dive Travel Business News - May 1, 2011) -- Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet expect passengers to have a safe and fun dive vacation as they leave their worries at home. However, a named meteorological disturbance can make the seas rough and adversely affect valuable dive time. This is why Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet have developed "StormCheck". read more »

NOAA Forecasts Atlantic Hurricane Season 2011

Above-average Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted for 2011

(Dive Travel Business News - May 22, 2011) -- The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration anticipates an active 2011 Atlantic hurricane season with between 12 and 18 named storms predicted. The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.

The waters the waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and tropical Atlantic continue with above-average temperatures, which is an underlying reason for an above-average number of potential storms. NOAA forecasts that between six and ten of the storms will strengthen into Category 1 hurricanes (winds at least 74 mph), and three to six storms will become major hurricanes with winds of at least 111 mph (at least Category 3).

Last year’s season was one of the busiest on record with 19 named storms, including 12 hurricanes. NOAA’s forecast in 2010 was 14 to 23 named storms, eight to 14 hurricanes and three to seven major storms.

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2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season Officially Over.

(Dive Travel Business News - December 1, 2010) -- The six-month Atlantic hurricane season that started June 1 and ended yesterday on November 30 was one of the most active ever recorded. The National Hurricane Center has characterized the past season as a "gentle giant."

In addition to 21 tropical depressions, the hyperactive 2010 Atlantic Hurricane season produced 19 named storms (tying for third alongside 1995 and 1887). Twelve of this year's named storms became hurricanes including five major hurricanes of Category 3 or above, defined by sustained winds between 111 and 130 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Only 1933 (21 storms) and 2005 (a record 28 storms) were more active. But with 12 actual hurricanes, the 2010 season ties with 1969 for second most hurricanes. read more »

Monsoons Create Severe Flooding and Landslides in Thailand

(Dive Travel Business News - November 10, 2010) -- This is a travel alert issued by the Canadian Government last updated on November 10, 2010).

Heavy monsoon rains have resulted in severe flooding and landslides in much of central, north-eastern and southern Thailand, which has caused over 180 deaths. Some areas have experienced serious disruptions to transportation infrastructure, electricity supply, and communications. read more »

Hurricane Tomas Weakens as it Leaves Caribbean

(Dive Travel Business News - November 7, 2010) -- A weakened Hurricane Tomas moved into the open Atlantic Ocean, about 525 miles southwest of Bermuda on Sunday. After declining to tropical storm status after causing flooding across several regions of earthquake-ravaged Haiti on Saturday, the storm’s winds fell to 60 mph. According to international press reports, the storm avoided Haiti’s largest homeless encampments, located around the capital of Port au Prince. Roughly 1.3 million people remain homeless following the Jan. 12 earthquake. Tomas did not cause loss of life or significant damage in Cuba, according to reports, and largely bypassed the Turks & Caicos. read more »

St. Lucia Reopens to Tourists

(Dive Travel Business News - November 03, 2010) -- St. Lucia's airports in the north and south of the island are “fully operational” in the aftermath of Category 1 Hurricane Tomas last weekend, and the island will resume tourism activities on Nov. 5 -- a week earlier than previously forecast.

Hewanorra International Airport in the south and George F. L. Charles Airport on the island’s north end are open, and American Eagle has increased services at George F.L. Charles Airport to move passengers previously delayed between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia. Electricity has been restored to 80 percent of the island while power will flow to 90 percent of the country by this weekend. Most resorts currently have adequate water, and water supply “should be restored in short order after detailed inspections revealed damage to the water dam is substantially less than expected,” Allen Chastanet, St. Lucia's Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister. read more »

NOAA Still Predicts Busy Fall for Hurricanes

NOAA reiterates prediction for busy hurricane season 2010

(Dive Travel Business News - August 9, 2010) -- The first two months of the 2010 hurricane season only saw three named storms in the Atlantic basin, yet National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this week reiterated its early June forecast that it could still end up being one of more active hurricane season on record in the region.

NOAA's updated forecast for 2010 calls for 14 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Of those named storms, 8 to 12 should become hurricanes, including 4 to 6 "major" hurricanes, with wind speeds above 111 mph, NOAA reports. An average Atlantic hurricane season sees 11 named storms, including six hurricanes, with two becoming major hurricanes.

Tropical storms are given a name when wind speeds reach 39 mph, and are upgraded to hurricane status when sustained winds reach 74 mph.