Elida (2020)

A small tropical low formed from a tropical wave south of the southern coast of Mexico around 0000 UTC on 8 August 2020 and became a tropical depression by 1800 UTC that day about 150 nautical miles south‑southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Elida early on 9 August and moved generally west‑northwestward. Elida underwent rapid strengthening on 10–11 August, reached peak strength on 11 August, then weakened quickly over cooler, more stable air and became post‑tropical by 0000 UTC 13 August. The remnant low opened into a trough by early 14 August a few hundred nautical miles west of the central Baja California coast.

Elida remained well offshore for its entire life and did not make landfall anywhere along the Mexican coast or Baja California. Although the storm passed a few hundred nautical miles south of southern Baja California on 10–11 August, its compact size kept tropical‑storm‑force winds and other impacts away from land, so no coastal watches or warnings were issued.

The hurricane’s maximum intensity was 90 knots (105 mph) with an estimated minimum central pressure of 971 mb, reached at 1200 and 1800 UTC on 11 August. At its peak Elida was a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir‑Simpson scale. Hurricane‑force winds were confined to roughly 15 nautical miles of the center and tropical‑storm‑force winds extended only about 60 nautical miles.

There were no reports of storm surge or measured coastal inundation associated with Elida, and no reported rainfall totals linked to damaging impacts in populated areas. Because the cyclone remained far offshore, no tide or river flooding reports tied to the storm were noted in the official record.

No deaths or damage were reported in connection with Elida. The regions nearest the storm’s track—southern Baja California and the southwestern coast of mainland Mexico—experienced no recorded impacts from this compact, offshore hurricane.

Noteworthy items include the storm’s rapid intensification into a small, symmetric hurricane with a well‑defined eye on 11 August and the fact that standard objective satellite intensity estimates (ADT and SATCON) underestimated its peak because the small eye was not well sampled. NHC forecasts captured the timing and strength of the rapid intensification well, though track forecasts had a southward bias at longer lead times and errors at 60–72 hours were larger than the recent long‑term means.