User:Yellow Evan/Manuel

Hurricane Manuel was one of many tropical cyclones to affect the Southwestern United States during the 1983 Pacific hurricane season. A tropical disturbance was first noted on September 10 near the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Two days later, the disturbance was upgraded into a tropical depression and was declared a tropical storm several hours later. Initially expected to hit Jalisco, it steadily gained strength and became a hurricane on September 14. After attaining its secondary peak, it briefly weakened overnight before subsequently restrengthening. On September 17, Manuel attained peak intensity, with winds of 115 mph, which it held on to for 12 hours. Thereafter, Hurricane Manuel began to weaken, and on September 18, it was reduced to tropical storm strength. The next day, it was downgraded into a tropical depression. After passing over Guadalupe Island, it dissipated on September 20. The remnants of the storm later brought heavy rain to California and Arizona for five days. Some fires and power outages were reported, but damage was minor and less than expected.

Meteorological history
A vigorous tropical disturbance was first noted on September 10 south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Despite the presence of wind shear, the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center (EPHC) upgraded the tropical disturbance into a tropical depression on 0600 UTC on September 12. Situated between a deep-layer ridge over Northern Mexico a another ridge off the Southern California coast, the system began to undergo rapid deepening was thus upgraded into a tropical storm at 1200 UTC that day while centered around 300 mi south of Puerto Escondido. Initially, the storm was expected to move inland over Jalisco and enter the Gulf of California, but this failed to occur. Tropical Storm Manuel continued to deepen; the storm attained winds of 65 mph on September 13. After maintaining this intensity for 12 hours, Manuel reached hurricane strength early on September 14. Several hours later, Manuel reached a secondary peak maximum sustained wind of 90 mph, making the storm a high-end Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS).

After attaining its secondary peak, Manuel suddenly weakened, and very early on September 15, the storm's wind diminished to 75 mph; simultaneously, the hurricane was situated about 200 mi south-southeast of Clarion Island. Thereafter, Manuel began to reintensify; early on September 16, Manuel turned towards the north while developing a small eye. While undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, Hurricane Manuel maintained winds of 90 mph for a day before the EPHC upgraded Manuel into a Category 2 hurricane. On September 17, however, Manuel developed a much larger and well-defined eye; that afternoon; Manuel was upgraded into major hurricane status (a Category 3 hurricane on the SSHWS) while also reaching its peak intensity of 115 mph. At the time of its peak, Manuel was located about 500 mi west of Los Mochis.

While at peak strength, Hurricane Manuel was situated atop of very warm sea surface temperatures. The storm held onto major hurricane winds for 12 hours before subsequently weakening. During the evening hours of September 17, the EPHC reported that Hurricane Manuel had weakened into a Category 2 hurricane and then weakened further, into a Category 1 system. At 0000 UTC on September 18, the eye collapsed as it began to encounter 77 F ocean temperatures. Manuel was intercepted by a Hurricane Hunter aircraft that day, which found no evidence of an eyewall, thus, Manuel was downgraded into a tropical storm about 600 mi south of San Diego. After turning north-northeast, Hurricane Hunters penetrated the storm for the second time, noting that the storm was a swirl of clouds with no deep convection; what little convection that remained was getting sheared to the far northeast of the center. On September 19, the EPHC reportedly downgraded the system into a depression. The following day, Manuel made landfall along the eastern portion of Guadalupe Island before dissipating at 1200 UTC that day.

Impact
The remnants of Hurricane Manuel later brought rain to the Southwestern United States, arriving thanks to the presence of a cut-off low. The outer rainband's of Manuel began to produce moisture over the region on September 18, and continued until September 21, a day after it was no longer a tropical cyclone. In California, the storm brought heavy rains, with 3 in of rain falling in the mountains and deserts across the southern portion of the sate. A laboratory near Palm Springs recorded a peak total of 2.85 in. A secondary peak of 2.35 in was measured in Borrego Springs Park. Further east, in Arizona, isolated rain showers were reported, peaking at 2.56 in in Alamo Dam. However, most stations in the state saw 0.5 in or less. Along the northern portion Baja California, showers were reported. In addition to the rain, Manuel also produced high waves to the beaches while generating above-average temperatures to California; up to 85% humidity was reported. The storm caused some power disruptions in the San Joaquin Valley while many foothill communities in Tulare County suffered more severe power outages. A total 3,000 customers lost electricity in Porterville because of high winds, heavy rains, minor damage was reported. Nearby, minor power outages were reported. In addition to power outages, numerous fires occurred in Kern County, but none of these fires caused major damage. In all, impact from the storm was less than anticipated. Thereafter, the North American Monsoon became active over the region, and within a few weeks, additional flooding occurred over much of Arizona.