May 2008 Tropical Cyclones Report

Atlantic Tropical storm Arthur developed off the Belize coast on May 31 from the remnants of Pacific Tropical Storm Alma, making landfall on Belize shortly thereafter and dissipating on June 2. Arthur is the first tropic storm to form in May since 1981. Arthur had maximum sustained winds of 65 km/hr (35 knots or 40 mph). More information on Arthur is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

The eastern North Pacific hurricane season officially begins on May 15th, generally peaks in late August/early September and concludes around the end of November. Tropical cyclone activity during May 2008 was above average with one named storm, Alma. Since official records began in 1949, four tropical storms have developed in May in 1984, 1956, and two in 2007. The long-term mean indicates that a named storm typically forms about every other May. However, this is the 9th consecutive May that a tropical cyclone has developed in the East Pacific Basin.

Alma developed as a tropical wave south of Central America in late May and strengthened into a tropical depression on May 28. The depression strengthened into a strong tropical storm the next day, making landfall on the northwestern coast of Nicaragua near León. Nine people were killed in León, where electricity was lost, trees toppled, and several homes were damaged. The remnants of Alma moved across Central America and later emerged in the Gulf of Honduras where it reorganized into Atlantic Tropical Storm Arthur. Alma's peak winds of 105 km/hr (56 knots or 65 mph) occurred on the morning of May 29. More information may be found on NCDC's 2008 Northeast Pacific Tropical Cyclone statistics page or at the NOAA National Hurricane Center.