Former Tropical Storm Vince makes rare landfall in Spain
MIAMI (AP) — The former Tropical Storm Vince made a rare European landfall early Tuesday along the southwestern coast of Spain, forecasters said.
Hurricane Vince formed Sunday in the far eastern Atlantic.
The Weather Channel
The weakening tropical depression with 35-mph winds was the first tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Spain, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Vince had been the 11th hurricane of the season, and the 20th named storm.
It was not expected to produce the torrential rains, flooding and mudslides Hurricane Stan and its remnants triggered as it crossed Central America last week, forecasters said.
"It doesn't have an awful lot of rain with it," hurricane specialist James Franklin said. "There could be an inch or two of rain as it moves across southwest Spain today, but it should not be a weather-maker there."
At 5 a.m. ET, the tropical depression was centered along the southwestern coast of Spain near Huelva. It was moving east-northeast at about 24 mph, which forecasters said would take the remnants of Vince farther inland.
The National Hurricane Center discontinued advisories early Tuesday as the depression showed signs it was losing its tropical characteristics.
Vince formed Sunday between the Azores and the Canary Islands in waters that were up to 7 degrees cooler than the 80 degrees typically needed for a tropical storm, said Chris Sisko, a meteorologist at the hurricane center.
Forecasters say this appears to be the farthest east and north that a tropical storm has formed in recorded history in the Atlantic.
Only one other Atlantic season had more tropical storms and hurricanes since record keeping began in 1851 — there were 21 in 1933. The most hurricanes to ever form in a season were 12 in 1969.
The official forecast calls for up to 21 named storms and 11 hurricanes in the season that began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. While conditions for hurricane development get less favorable as the year goes on, about every other year a hurricane forms in November, hurricane specialist Richard Knabb said.
"People should be aware that the hurricane season doesn't end till November and we could get more activity," Knabb said.
Wilma is the only name left for storms this season. After that, storms are named after letters in the Greek alphabet — which has never happened in more than 50 years of regularly naming storms