Vince (2005)

Vince developed from a decaying frontal low near the Azores and was first classified as a subtropical storm at 0600 UTC on 8 October 2005 about 500 nautical miles southeast of Lajes (Azores). It slowly moved northeastward, became tropical by 1200 UTC 9 October, and briefly intensified into a hurricane near 1800 UTC 9 October about 135 n mi northwest of Funchal, Madeira. Strong upper-level wind shear and an approaching frontal trough caused steady weakening; Vince moved east-northeastward, became a tropical depression by 0000 UTC 11 October, passed just south of Faro, Portugal, and its circulation made landfall in southwestern Spain near Huelva around 0900 UTC 11 October before dissipating later that day.

The single landfall documented was near Huelva, Spain, at about 0900 UTC on 11 October 2005. At that time Vince was a weak tropical cyclone — the best track lists it as a tropical depression with 30 kt (about 35 mph) sustained winds and a central pressure near 1002 mb at landfall. The center passed just south of Faro, Portugal, around 0700 UTC on the same day.

Vince’s peak intensity was estimated at 65 kt (75 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 988 mb, reached near 1800 UTC on 9 October. This peak made Vince a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale and also placed it farther east than any previously known Atlantic tropical cyclone to reach hurricane strength.

Storm surge effects were minimal in the affected coastal areas and no specific surge maxima were reported in the official observations. Rainfall totals were generally light across southern Spain, mostly less than 2 inches, with a maximum reported 3.30 inches (about 84 mm) in the plain at Córdoba. Wind gusts of tropical-storm force were recorded at several locations: Naval Air Station Rota reported a gust to 42 kt with a 10-minute sustained wind of 25 kt at 0930 UTC on 11 October; Morón observed a gust to 40 kt with a 28 kt sustained wind; and Jerez reported sustained winds of 31 kt with a gust to 42 kt.

No damage or casualties were reported in connection with Vince. The storm was notable for being the first known tropical cyclone to make landfall on the Iberian Peninsula and for reaching hurricane strength farther east in the Atlantic than any previously recorded system. Forecast track errors for Vince were larger than average for the brief life span of the storm, with a northwest bias in official forecasts; intensity forecast errors were also larger than the 1995–2004 averages at longer lead times.