June; too soon
July; stand by
August: it must
September: remember
October: all over
Those who grow up in the tropics learn this rhyme so as to be alert to Hurricane season.
In the Western Hemisphere, although hurricanes have formed in every month but April, the majority of storms arrive in the latter part of July, through August and into mid September.
Some years, there is virtually little activity until August ; “It Must” and then by October it is “All Over”.
Then there are years like 2005.
There were thirty storms.
Tropical Storm Arlene formed on June 9th. This was rather early in the season; as June is; Too Soon.Although Arlene didn’t make many headlines, nor cause much damage, a Russian exchange student in Miami died in a rip current triggered by this storm.
Hurricane Dennis was an unusually strong July storm which left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It was a Tropical Storm on the 5th of July, became a hurricane on the 7th, and reached Category 4 on the 8th.
Katrina became a tropical storm on 24th of August, a hurricane on the 25th. On the 27th it was a Category 3 and a Cat 5 by the 28th of August.
Hurricane Epsilon was the thirtiest storm of that Year. It is only the 6th hurricane on record to form in December.
Beginning as a Tropical Storm on the 29th of November, On the 2nd of December it strengthened to hurricane status, where it remained for five days, until returning to its status as a tropical storm before dissipating on the 9th.
Hence, in 2005, June was not Too Soon, nor was it All Over in October.
In 2008, a tropical storm which had formed in the Pacific crossed over Central America moving to the East. Tropical Storm Alma had a sex change and became Arthur on the 27th day of May 2008 which was very unusual.
Gustav began to form on 13 August, the usual time for such development. It became a tropical storm on the 25th of August and a Hurricane on the 26th. It then weakened to a Tropical Storm, crossed Jamaica, (guess it felt sorry for us) then became a hurricane again on the 29th.
Paloma formed in November. It was a Tropical storm on the 6th, a Hurricane on the 7th. reached Category 4 on the 8th.
Although the rhyme is still sung, as hurricanes being most likely in August and September, they can form at any time, and if conditions are right, and even in December can reach Cat. 4.
The warning is clear, Hurricanes can form at any time and reach any category when the conditions are right.
