Rene (2020)

A tropical low moved off the west coast of Africa on 6 September 2020 and developed into a tropical depression by 0600 UTC 7 September about 175 nautical miles east of the easternmost Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) Islands. It became Tropical Storm Rene later that day and moved generally west to west‑northwest across the Cabo Verde Islands. Rene fluctuated in strength, briefly weakening to a depression on 8 September, restrengthening to a tropical storm on 9 September, then gradually weakening and turning northwest before opening into a trough and dissipating by 1800 UTC 14 September over the central Atlantic about 900 nmi northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

Rene affected the Cabo Verde Islands as it passed through the island chain on 7–8 September. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Cabo Verde Islands on 7 September and discontinued on 8 September. There were no reported landfalls on other countries or U.S. territories; its primary interaction with land was while passing near islands in the Cabo Verde archipelago.

The storm’s peak intensity was 40 knots (46 mph) with an estimated minimum central pressure of 1002 millibars at 1200 and 1800 UTC on 10 September. At peak it was a moderate tropical storm (below hurricane strength) and never reached tropical storm–force winds on ships or mainland stations, though a 10‑minute wind of 28 kt (about 31 kt 1‑minute equivalent, roughly 36 mph) was observed at Amílcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island early on 8 September.

Storm surge reports were not documented in the record, and there were no notable coastal inundation measurements listed. Rainfall totals reported in the report were not extensive; the official account records no significant rainfall totals or storm surge heights at specific named cities or counties. The largest local wind observation mentioned was at Sal in the Cabo Verde Islands; otherwise there were no land-based observations of tropical-storm-force winds tied to Rene.

There were no reported casualties or damage associated with Rene. Noteworthy aspects of the system include that its formation was forecasted in the Tropical Weather Outlook up to four days before genesis, though the cyclone formed sooner than expected. Forecasts tended to overestimate its intensification (several forecasts predicted it would become a hurricane), producing a northward bias in early track forecasts and larger long-range track and intensity errors than typical at some lead times.