Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 27, 2008



The 1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, with 21 storms forming during that year. The season, which began on June 1, 1933 and lasted until November 30, 1933, was surpassed only by the 2005 season, which broke the record with its 28 storms. The 1933 season saw tropical activity before its start, and a tropical cyclone was active for all but 13 days from June 28 to October 7. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable. Compensating for the lack of reliable observation, one hurricane researcher estimates the season produced 24 tropical cyclones. Ten of the season's 21 storms attained hurricane status. Five of those were major hurricanes, with sustained winds of over 111 mph (179 km/h); the strongest reached peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) near the Bahamas in early October. The season produced several deadly storms, with eight storms killing more than 20 people. All but one of the 21 known storms affected land at some point during their lifetimes. (more...)

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