Georgette (2016)

A small tropical cyclone formed from a low-pressure area in the far eastern North Pacific and became a tropical depression near 0600 UTC on 21 July 2016 about 700 nautical miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. The system strengthened to a tropical storm on 22 July and turned northwestward. After environmental shear relaxed, Georgette became a hurricane early on 24 July and then underwent rapid intensification, reaching peak strength on 25 July about 520 n mi southwest of Cabo San Lucas. It weakened quickly over cooler waters and lost tropical characteristics by 0600 UTC 27 July, degenerating to a remnant low that dissipated just before entering the central Pacific on 30 July. Overall, Georgette existed as a tropical cyclone from 21–27 July 2016.

Georgette did not make landfall. It remained well offshore of Mexico throughout its life and no coastal watches or warnings were issued.

The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds peaked at 115 knots (132 mph) near 0600 UTC 25 July, with a minimum central pressure estimated at 952 mb. At peak intensity Georgette was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir‑Simpson scale. The system was unusually small; tropical-storm-force winds extended only about 40 nautical miles from the center near peak strength.

Because Georgette stayed far from land, there were no reports of storm surge or rainfall impacts associated with the cyclone, and no measured surge heights or heavy rainfall totals were reported for cities or counties in Mexico or the United States.

There were no reported deaths or damage directly or indirectly attributed to Georgette. The storm’s primary significance was meteorological: it unexpectedly intensified into a major (Category 4) hurricane well southwest of Mexico. NHC track forecasts for Georgette were unusually accurate (errors well below recent averages), but intensity forecasts initially underpredicted the rapid intensification; most models did not anticipate it becoming a major hurricane.