A compact tropical cyclone formed from a late-season tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on 13 October 2019. A surface circulation developed and Tropical Depression Fifteen was designated at 1200 UTC 14 October about 300 nautical miles southeast of the Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) Islands. The system moved generally northwestward, passed between the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, then encountered strong wind shear and dry air, weakened into a broad low by 0600 UTC 16 October, and finally dissipated by 1800 UTC 17 October.
The system did not make any classified hurricane or tropical storm landfalls. Its center passed between Sal and Boa Vista in the Cabo Verde Islands during 15 October, but because the circulation was sheared and most convection was displaced to the northeast, no significant weather or reported impacts were observed on those islands.
Maximum sustained winds reached 30 knots (35 mph) and the best estimate of minimum central pressure was 1006 mb. At its peak it remained a tropical depression (never strengthened to a tropical storm). Later in its life the circulation weakened to a remnant low with winds around 25 knots before dissipating.
Because the strongest weather was displaced away from the center and the system was short-lived, there were no reports of storm surge or notable rainfall associated with the depression on the Cabo Verde Islands, and no specific surge heights or heavy rainfall totals were recorded in the report.
There were no reports of damage or casualties—no direct or indirect deaths were associated with this system. The most affected region was the open tropical Atlantic near the Cabo Verde Islands, but impacts there were negligible.
Forecast products had reasonably early notice of a developing system: the wave was mentioned in the Tropical Weather Outlook as early as 11 October and a high chance of formation was issued about 6 hours before genesis. Because the depression existed only briefly, forecast verification was limited; track errors at 12–24 hours were larger than recent averages but still below some climatological benchmarks, and intensity forecasts overpredicted strengthening that did not occur.
Paid members can generate summaries tailored to the counties of their choice. The Fifteen TCR covers impacts across many counties and states — a Pinellas County resident doesn't need the Asheville detail, and a Buncombe County resident doesn't need the Tampa surge data.
Upgrade for county-specific summariesSummary above produced from the National Hurricane Center's official post-storm Tropical Cyclone Report. Read the full report for casualty lists, damage estimates by area, forecast critique, and detailed meteorological discussion:
📄 Read NHC's full report on Fifteen → (opens at nhc.noaa.gov)| Time (UTC) | Status | Lat | Lon | Winds (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10-14 12:00 | TD | 12.60 | -19.30 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-10-14 18:00 | TD | 13.30 | -20.00 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-10-15 00:00 | TD | 14.20 | -20.40 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-10-15 06:00 | TD | 15.00 | -21.00 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-10-15 12:00 | TD | 15.70 | -21.70 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-10-15 18:00 | TD | 16.30 | -22.60 | 30 | 1007 | |
| 2019-10-16 00:00 | TD | 17.00 | -23.40 | 30 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-16 06:00 | LO | 17.60 | -24.40 | 25 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-16 12:00 | LO | 18.20 | -25.40 | 25 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-16 18:00 | LO | 18.70 | -26.80 | 25 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-17 00:00 | LO | 19.20 | -28.30 | 25 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-17 06:00 | LO | 19.50 | -29.80 | 25 | 1009 | |
| 2019-10-17 12:00 | LO | 19.30 | -31.00 | 25 | 1009 |
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best-track database (nhc.noaa.gov/data). Data is in the public domain. Best-track positions and intensities are post-storm reanalysis estimates and may differ from real-time advisories.