Maria (2005)

A tropical depression formed about 910 nautical miles east of the northernmost Leeward Islands on 1 September 2005. It moved generally west-northwest to northwest around the western edge of the subtropical ridge, became a tropical storm on 2 September, and strengthened to a hurricane on 4 September. Maria developed a clear eye on 5 September and began recurving to the northeast, weakened to a tropical storm by 9 September, became extratropical on 10 September, and then moved rapidly across the North Atlantic toward Iceland and Norway before merging with another strong extratropical cyclone on 14 September.

Maria did not make any landfalls while a tropical cyclone; no tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings were required for land areas during its tropical-phase lifetime. After it became extratropical and intensified again over the North Atlantic, the combined system passed near Iceland and later contributed to a powerful cyclone that affected Norway.

The hurricane’s peak intensity occurred near 0000 UTC 6 September with maximum sustained winds of about 100 knots (115 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 962 mb. At peak strength Maria was a Category 3 major hurricane for a very brief period before beginning a steady weakening trend.

Storm surge and heavy rainfall impacts from Maria during its tropical phase were minimal on land because the cyclone stayed well out at sea. Only three ships reported tropical-storm-force winds associated with Maria; no coastal storm surge values or large rainfall totals at populated locations were reported in the tropical phase of the storm.

There were no reports of damage or casualties while Maria was a tropical cyclone. One death was associated with the later extratropical merger: a landslide in Norway after Maria merged with another low killed one person. Overall, regions closest to Maria’s tropical-phase track remained largely unaffected.

Noteworthy items include that Maria briefly reached major-hurricane strength while well east of Bermuda, and QuikSCAT satellite wind data were important in assessing its intensity. National Hurricane Center forecast track and intensity errors for Maria were smaller than the 1995–2004 averages, and forecasts generally anticipated the system’s development several days in advance.