By Allison Li
This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin. The storms, from left, are Hurricane Sally, Hurricane Paulette, Tropical Storm Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/zombie-storm-paulette-regains-some-strength-adding-weird-2020-weather-n1240752
Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse with its record-breaking hurricane season and rampant wildfires, a tropical storm has risen from the dead.
On September 22nd, the National Weather Service tweeted, “Because 2020, we now have Zombie Tropical Storms. Welcome back to the land of the living, Tropical Storm Paulette.” Paulette first appeared early September in the Atlantic Ocean, along with four other tropical cyclones. This is only the second time in history five tropical cyclones have existed at once! The first time this occurred was in 1971.
On September 14th, Hurricane Paulette, a Category 1 storm at the time, caused landfall in Bermuda. It worsened to a Category 2, but then eventually lost its speed and became a post-tropical low-pressure system.
After five and a half days, it regained strength and became a tropical storm yet again. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Paulette reappeared Monday about 300 miles off the coast of the Azores Islands, a group of islands off the coast of Portugal.
The last time a storm regenerated was in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan. According to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller, these returning “zombie” storms are uncommon but have happened before. He states, “2020 is a good candidate to experience a zombie storm because water temperatures are above average over a bulk of the Atlantic Ocean… which ups the chances one could regenerate.”
However, this situation has improved – Paulette is losing its intensity. By September 22nd, its maximum wind speeds were only 40 mph. Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist at the NHC, says that “Additional weakening is forecast to take place, and Paulette is expected to become a remnant low within the next day or so.”
