The
2006 Atlantic hurricane season was a cycle of the annual
tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. The season officially began on June 1, 2006, and ended on November 30, 2006. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most
subtropical or
tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean.[1] The first storm to form in 2006 was
Tropical Storm Alberto on June 10;[nb 1] the last,
Hurricane Isaac, dissipated on October 2.
The season saw near average activity in terms of the overall number of cyclones.[nb 2] There were ten
named storms in the Atlantic basin in 2006, of which five became hurricanes with two intensifying further into
major hurricanes.[nb 3] It was the first season since the
2001 season in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States, and the first since the
1994 season that no tropical cyclones formed during October; activity was slowed by a rapidly forming
El Niño event in 2006, the presence of the
Saharan Air Layer over the tropical Atlantic, and the steady presence of a robust secondary high-pressure area to the
Azores High centered on Bermuda.[5]
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening,
landfalls,
extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the
National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
By convention, meteorologists use one
time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations:
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the
24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[6] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) are:
Greenwich,
Cape Verde,
Atlantic,
Eastern, and
Central.[7] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first, with the respective regional time zone included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for
maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (
knots,
miles, or
kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest
millibar and nearest hundredth of an
inch of mercury.
Timeline of storms
June
June 1
The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.[8]
June 10
1 a.m.
CDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression One forms 120 nautical miles (140 mi; 220 km) south of the western tip of
Cuba.[9]
12:30 p.m.
EDT (1630 UTC) – Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall near Adams Beach,
Florida, with 45 mph (72 km/h) winds.[9][nb 4]
June 14
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Storm Alberto weakens into a tropical depression.[9]
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – The remnants of Alberto become extratropical.[9]
July
July 17
0600 UTC – A previously extratropical low-pressure area becomes a tropical depression about 210 nautical miles (240 mi; 390 km) southeast of
Nantucket,
Massachusetts. However, this depression is not assigned a number operationally, or warned on, by the
National Hurricane Center.[10]
1200 UTC – The tropical depression near Nantucket strengthens into a
tropical storm, but is not operationally named.[10]
July 18
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Two forms 250 nautical miles (290 mi; 460 km) east-southeast of
Wilmington, North Carolina.[11]
1200 UTC – The unnamed tropical storm degenerates into a remnant low.[10]
^The 2006 calendar year began with an off-season system active in the basin, as the 28th and final storm of the
2005 season,
Tropical Storm Zeta, persisted until early January 2006.[2]
^Hurricanes reaching Category 3 (wind speeds of 111 miles per hour (179 km/h)) or higher on the 5-level
Saffir–Simpson wind speed scale are considered major hurricanes.[4]
The
2006 Atlantic hurricane season was a cycle of the annual
tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. The season officially began on June 1, 2006, and ended on November 30, 2006. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most
subtropical or
tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean.[1] The first storm to form in 2006 was
Tropical Storm Alberto on June 10;[nb 1] the last,
Hurricane Isaac, dissipated on October 2.
The season saw near average activity in terms of the overall number of cyclones.[nb 2] There were ten
named storms in the Atlantic basin in 2006, of which five became hurricanes with two intensifying further into
major hurricanes.[nb 3] It was the first season since the
2001 season in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States, and the first since the
1994 season that no tropical cyclones formed during October; activity was slowed by a rapidly forming
El Niño event in 2006, the presence of the
Saharan Air Layer over the tropical Atlantic, and the steady presence of a robust secondary high-pressure area to the
Azores High centered on Bermuda.[5]
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening,
landfalls,
extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the
National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
By convention, meteorologists use one
time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations:
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the
24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[6] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) are:
Greenwich,
Cape Verde,
Atlantic,
Eastern, and
Central.[7] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first, with the respective regional time zone included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for
maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (
knots,
miles, or
kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest
millibar and nearest hundredth of an
inch of mercury.
Timeline of storms
June
June 1
The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.[8]
June 10
1 a.m.
CDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression One forms 120 nautical miles (140 mi; 220 km) south of the western tip of
Cuba.[9]
12:30 p.m.
EDT (1630 UTC) – Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall near Adams Beach,
Florida, with 45 mph (72 km/h) winds.[9][nb 4]
June 14
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Storm Alberto weakens into a tropical depression.[9]
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – The remnants of Alberto become extratropical.[9]
July
July 17
0600 UTC – A previously extratropical low-pressure area becomes a tropical depression about 210 nautical miles (240 mi; 390 km) southeast of
Nantucket,
Massachusetts. However, this depression is not assigned a number operationally, or warned on, by the
National Hurricane Center.[10]
1200 UTC – The tropical depression near Nantucket strengthens into a
tropical storm, but is not operationally named.[10]
July 18
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Two forms 250 nautical miles (290 mi; 460 km) east-southeast of
Wilmington, North Carolina.[11]
1200 UTC – The unnamed tropical storm degenerates into a remnant low.[10]
^The 2006 calendar year began with an off-season system active in the basin, as the 28th and final storm of the
2005 season,
Tropical Storm Zeta, persisted until early January 2006.[2]
^Hurricanes reaching Category 3 (wind speeds of 111 miles per hour (179 km/h)) or higher on the 5-level
Saffir–Simpson wind speed scale are considered major hurricanes.[4]