User:Yellow Evan/Raymond

Hurricane Raymond was a powerful major hurricane that formed during an abnormally active 1983 Pacific hurricane season. The eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and seventh major hurricane of the season. Raymond threatened the Hawaiian Islands enough for a hurricane watch to be issued. Instead, it turned north. It then veered south and made landfall near Molokai as a tropical depression. Raymond brought beneficial rains.

Meteorological history
A tropical wave crossed the Nicaragua coast on October 5. It moved westward at 8 mph. A deep-layer mean high center was over Mexico and a well-developed ridge extended westward towards the Hawaiian Islands. By 0600 UTC October 8, it was upgraded to a tropical depression while located 763 mi south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. The tropical depression moved west over 84 to 86 F waters. The depression intensified to a tropical storm on October 9. Tropical Storm Raymond continued moving westwards, accelerated and rapidly intensified. On October 10, its maximum winds reached 75 mph (120 km/h), and was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. Subsequently, a small but distinct eye became visible near the center. Raymond continued to rapidly intensify. Roughly 24 hours after becoming a hurricane, the tropical cyclone reached its peak intensity of 145 mph over 1000 mi away from the Baja California Peninsula.

Shorty after its peak, Raymond began to weaken and on October 12, the storm was downgraded into a Category 3 system. The next day, the storm weakened into a Category 2 hurricane, only to re-intensify over the next few days. With sea surface temperatures remaining warm, the system crossed into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility. Moving rapidly west, the system showed a large and well-defined eye. During the night of October 14, Raymond considerably slowed its forward motion speed and started moving on a more northerly track. The eye began to become less defined; meanwhile, the symmetric shape of the hurricane became more elongated. The weakening trend was later confirmed by a Hurricane Hunter aircraft, which reported winds of 968 mbar and winds of 105 mph. Shortly thereafter, Raymond was lowered to a Category 1 hurricane and several hours later, a tropical storm as wind shear took toll on the storm. Meanwhile, the storm moving slowly northwest and underwent several loops. At 1800 UTC October 18, Raymond was downgraded to a tropical depression and was soon devoid of deep convection. It was now moving west to west-southwest. As a weak tropical depression, Tropical Depression Raymond made landfall near Molokai midday on August 20. Raymond soon dissipated inland.

Preparations and impact
Because meteorologists were predicting that the storm may pose a threat to the Hawaiian Islands, the CPHC issued a hurricane watch for Hawaii. A high-surf advisory also was issued. As Raymond approached Hawaii, the cyclone kicked up very high surfs that pounded the Big island of Hawaii. On the east end of the Hawaiian Island chain was battered by 10 - 15 ft waves. In addition, Raymond brought beneficial rains and gusty winds on all islands. Precipitation ranged from 1 to 2 in on Maui. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph were reported on the Big Island during the afternoon of October 19. There was one casualty when a sailor was lost overboard off the craft "Hazana"; the boat was traveling from Tahiti to San Diego, but the course was altered to Hawaii because of the storm. While only minor damage was reported as a result of the hurricane, a fishing vessel did also issue a Mayday for help because of the storm.