2019–20 European windstorm season
The 2019–20 European windstorm season was the fifth instance of seasonal European windstorm naming in Europe. This is the first season in which the Netherlands meteorological authority took part, joining those of Ireland and the United Kingdom. It comprised a year from 1 September to 31 August, however names were announced six days into that year. The Portuguese, Spanish and French meteorological agencies again collaborated too, joined by the Belgian meteorological agency.
Background and naming
In 2015, the Met Office and Met Éireann conducted or promoted the "Name our Storms" project for wind storms, going to the public for the suggestions. The meteorological offices produced a full list of names for 2015–16 through to 2017–18, common to both the UK and Ireland, with the Netherlands taking part from 2019 onwards. Names in the United Kingdom will be invoked under the National Severe Weather Warning system when a storm is forecast to merit an Amber or Red warning.There are two main naming lists: one created by the national meteorological agencies of the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands, and another created by the equivalent agencies from France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. Additionally, former Atlantic hurricanes will retain their names as assigned by the National Hurricane Center of the United States.
United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands
The following names have been selected for the 2019–2020 season:France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium
This will be the third year in which the meteorological agencies of France, Spain and Portugal will be naming storms which affect their areas. This naming scheme is partially overlapping with that used by the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands, as storms named by the other group of agencies will be used reciprocally.The following names have been selected for the 2019–2020 season:
Other naming systems
Two former Atlantic systems transitioned into a European windstorm and retained its name as assigned by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida:Besides these naming systems, the Free University of Berlin also names high and low pressure areas through its "Adopt a vortex" programme. The Nordic nations of Denmark, Norway and Sweden also name storms with more limited reciprocation. Other nations may also name storms either through their national meteorological institutions or popularly.
Season summary
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from:03/03/2020 till:07/03/2020 text:"Norberto" color:5
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from:18/08/2020 till:27/08/2020 text:"Ellen" color:4
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from:01/12/2019 till:31/12/2019 text:December
from:01/01/2020 till:31/01/2020 text:January
from:01/02/2020 till:28/02/2020 text:February
from:01/03/2020 till:31/03/2020 text:March
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from:01/06/2020 till:30/06/2020 text:June
from:01/07/2020 till:31/07/2020 text:July
from:01/08/2020 till:31/08/2020 text:August
from:01/09/2020 till:30/09/2020 text:September
The first system of the season was [|Storm Lorenzo], when Met Éireann issued yellow wind warnings for Ireland and an orange warning for the western coastal counties. The storm consisted of the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo, which had turned extratropical. The next named system was [|Amélie], named by Météo-France on 1 November. Storm Bernardo was named next, by the Spanish meteorological agency, AEMET. This system primarily affected the Balearic Islands. [|Cecilia] was named next by AEMET, when the agency warned of rain and wind on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
On 6 December, the Irish meteorological agency named [|Atiyah], the first system to receive its name from the Irish, British and Dutch storm naming list. After Atiyah passed, storms [|Daniel], [|Elsa] and [|Fabien] were named in quick succession on 15, 16 and 18 December, respectively. Storms [|Brendan] and Gloria were next to be named by Met Éireann and AEMET, respectively, after a quiet start to January 2020. [|Hervé] was named by Météo-France on 3 February, after the agency expected wind gusts of up to at Corsica's coast. A few days later, on 5 February, Ciara was named by Met Office, warning of heavy rain and gales throughout the United Kingdom.
Following Ciara, Dennis was named by the Met Office on 11 February 2020. The agency warned of heavy rain and gales across the United Kingdom. A day later, [|Inès] was named by the French meteorological agency. The agency warned of wind speeds up to in the northern part of France on 13 February. The Spanish meteorological agency named [|Jorge] next, warning of seas high on 29 February through 2 March and snow around. Following Jorge, [|Karine], [|Leon], [|Myriam] and [|Norberto] were named in quick succession, on 29 February, 1, 3 and 5 March, respectively. Karine was named by AEMET, while Leon, Myriam and Norberto were named by Météo-France.
Storms
Storm Lorenzo
The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida began monitoring a tropical wave emerging from the west coast of Africa on 19 September, which subsequently developed into Hurricane Lorenzo by 25 September. The system continued to intensify, ultimately becoming the easternmost Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean. On 26 September, the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera began issuing advisories for Hurricane Lorenzo. The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and tropical storm watches on 30 September for the Azores, which were later upgraded to warnings.Lorenzo began undergoing extratropical transition on 2 October, while passing over the Azores a few hours before the National Hurricane Center issued their 09:00 UTC advisory. The subsequent advisory stated that Lorenzo had become a post-tropical cyclone, which was subsequently named Storm Lorenzo by Met Éireann as they issued a yellow warning of wind for the entirety of Ireland, as well as an orange warning for the western coastal counties. The Met Office issued yellow wind warnings for Northern Ireland, Cornwall and parts of Devon and south-west Wales.
On 3 October, the M6 Buoy, located about west of Mace Head, County Galway, recorded a pressure of near Lorenzo's centre. The same buoy also recorded a maximum wave height of. On 4 October, while the storm was passing across Ireland, new weather warnings were issued for the counties of Clare, Galway, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Westmeath. The highest recorded wind gust was, with the highest 10-minute mean at, both recorded at Mace Head.
Storm Lorenzo continued to weaken as it moved away from Ireland into the Irish Sea, with the United States-based Ocean Prediction Center ceasing to monitor Lorenzo on 4 October after it crossed the United Kingdom. Now little more than a weak frontal zone, Storm Lorenzo made landfall in northern Germany on 5 October, subsequently moving over eastern Europe the following day before dissipating on 7 October while moving into Russia.
Power was cut to almost 20,000 homes in Ireland at the height of the storm, with flooding occurring throughout the country. The River Eske partially flooded Donegal as result of nearly of rain falling as high tide was approaching. The amount of damage country-wide, however, was less than anticipated. The storm's only known fatality while it was extratropical occurred when a tree fell on a person in Stafford. However, Lorenzo had been responsible for nineteen further fatalities, including seven crew members of the capsized French cargo ship Bourbon Rhode who were never found. During its combined lifespan as a major hurricane and a European windstorm, Lorenzo caused at least £285 million in damage.