Current Snapshot

The Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Monday, March 18, 2024, Tropical Cyclone Activity Report…for the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and adjacent Seas

Current Tropical Cyclones:

Tropical Cyclone 18S…is located approximately 336 NM north-northwest of Learmonth, Australia – Final Warning

Tropical Cyclone 19P (Megan)…is located approximately 397 NM east-southeast of Darwin, Australia – Final Warning

Northeast Pacific Ocean:

The North Pacific hurricane season officially ended on November 30, 2023. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2024. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

The eastern Pacific basin hurricane season was above normal, with 17 named storms, of which 10 were hurricanes and eight of those major hurricanes.

From August 16 to 21, Tropical Storm Hilary brought widespread heavy rainfall and flooding to Southern California, with some areas receiving up to 600% of their normal August rainfall. Hilary resulted in the first ever issuance of Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings for the Southern California coastline by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. In addition, the Center distributed key hazard focused messages for Hilary in Spanish through the agency’s new language translation project.

Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, on October 25 as a category-5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 165 mph. Otis holds the record as the strongest land falling hurricane in the eastern Pacific, after undergoing rapid intensification in which wind speeds increased by 115 mph in 24 hours.

Central North Pacific:

The central North Pacific hurricane season officially ended on November 30, 2023. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2024. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

The central Pacific basin had a near-normal season with four tropical systems traversing the basin.

Hurricane Dora, a category-4 storm, passed south of Hawaii in early August, marking the first major hurricane in the central Pacific basin since 2020. The strong gradient between a high pressure system to the north and Dora to the south was a contributing factor to the wind-driven, fast-moving wildfires in Hawaii.

Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and adjacent Seas

South Indian Ocean…

Tropical Cyclone 18S – Final Warning

According to the JTWC warning number 29, sustained winds were 30 knots…with gusts to near 40 knots

An ascat-c scatterometry image revealed 25-30 knots in the southern periphery of the low-level circulation center with lighter 15-20 knot winds around the northern periphery.

Animated multi-spectral satellite imagery depicts the overall structure of the system to be disorganized.

Global numerical model guidance suggests that the remnants of 18S may re-intensify if the environmental conditions for genesis improve.

Tropical Cyclone 19P (Megan) – Final Warning

According to the JTWC warning number 12, sustained winds were 65 knots…with gusts to near 80 knots

Tropical cyclone 19P (Megan) made landfall at approximately along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, south of Centre Island.

19P is expected to track southwestward through 24 hours then turn westward through 48 hours, dissipating by 48 hours over north-central
Australia.