User:Holderca1/Hurricane Daniel (2006)

Hurricane Daniel was a major hurricane in the 2006 Pacific hurricane season in late July over the eastern and central Pacific. It was the fourth named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season and spent its entire existence over the open waters of the Pacific. It is also the first storm to affect the Central Pacific in 2006.

Hurricane Daniel formed off the Central American coast as a tropical depression on July 16 and reached tropical storm status the following day. The storm continued to trek westward, reaching hurricane strength on July 18. After reaching hurricane strength, Daniel continued to intensify before reaching its peak intensity on July 21 as a strong Category 4 hurricane. After reaching peak intensity, Daniel began to weaken as it moved over cooler waters, eventually dissipating into a remnant low over the central Pacific. It originally appeared that Daniel would affect the Hawaiian Islands, but dissipated well out to sea prior to reaching the islands.

Storm history
Daniel developed from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on June 30. The wave moved westward across the Atlantic without any significant organization and entered the Eastern Pacific on July 12. The system showed the first signs of organization on July 15 and Tropical Depression Five-E formed on July 17, 720 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The depression continued to organize and was designated as a tropical storm the next day. The storm continued to intensify and was declared a hurricane on July 18. Hurricane Daniel then underwent rapid intensification and was upgraded to major hurricane status (Category Three or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) early on July 20 (UTC). It continued to intensify to a Category 4 hurricane and peaked as a very strong Category 4 hurricane on July 21 with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and a minimum pressure of 933 mbars. Daniel was also noted as an annular hurricane by the NHC due to its clear, well-defined eye and circular symmetric pattern. But early on July 23 (UTC), Hurricane Daniel encountered weak steering currents and stalled over colder waters, causing the storm to gradually weaken. Daniel entered the Central Pacific as a weakening hurricane on July 24, becoming the basin's first tropical cyclone of 2006. It was a hurricane in the Central Pacific for less than a day as it weakened into a tropical storm in the early morning hours of July 25. Daniel dissipated into a remnant low on July 26, over 750 miles (1,200 km) from Hawaii.

Impact
Hurricane Daniel did not affect any land areas and there were no reports of damage or fatalities. The hurricane had been forecast to affect the Hawaiian Islands as a tropical storm, but the storm dissipated before reaching the islands and no warning or watches were issued. In anticipation of heavy rainfalls from the remnants of Daniel, the National Weather Service in Honolulu, Hawaii issued a flash flood watch for Kahoolawe, Maui, and the Island of Hawai'i.

Naming
This was the sixth time that the name Daniel had been used to name a tropical cyclone in the Eastern Pacific. It had been previously used in the 1978, 1982, 1988, 1994, and 2000 seasons. The 2000 storm named Daniel also threatend the Hawaiian Islands before veering off to the north.